The Truth Is Tomorrow
by all4jesus84
Summary: Scully must face the past when she discovers she has a 16-year-old neice named Kayla. When a secret source tells Scully Kayla is in danger, will Scully be able to protect the girl from the forces that want to get their hands on Kayla?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_16 years earlier..._

Janette Reynolds couldn't sleep.

Typical, she thought to herself, as she clambered down the stairs at 2 in the morning, hoping a warm glass of milk would settle the kicking baby inside of her. Now 8 months into her pregnancy, Janette was ready for this baby to be born. It was taking such a physical toll on her body, this wasn't anything like what she had expected pregnancy to be.

Well, it wasn't as though she had a mother to give her any sort of advice on what to expect. She'd been dead for years, and Janette was an only child. What she knew about pregnancy was straight from experience, her _own_ experience. She had no friends to speak of, and now, her good-for-nothing husband was gone too.

As Janette sat down in her recliner with a warm glass of milk, she let out a deep sigh, and gently placed a hand on her stomach.

"You ready to go to sleep yet, sweetie?" She whispered softly, as she took a sip of the lukewarm milk. She made a face. It was disgusting.

The baby continued to kick fiercely, and Janette couldn't help but smile. Her first child, and what a miracle it had been to conceive at all.

Mike, her husband, and Janette had tried for years to become pregnant, but eventually her doctors had given her the bad news that she was unable to conceive, and it was likely she would never become pregnant. It had put a strain on the marriage, that was for sure, but when Janette heard of Marzulli Laboratories, her hope for a family was reconciled.

After a long process of medical examinations and demographic information, Janette was finally approved to be implanted with eggs that had been donated from another woman. Janette was given a file with the information of the donater. Janette guessed it had something to do with genetics. If the donator had any family history of health concerns, Janette ought to know, to give her child the best care possible. After all, it wasn't Janette's genes the baby would have. It was the donator's.

Janette had enjoyed reading the file, amazed at how beautiful the woman in the pictures was. Brown hair and brown eyes, and the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. Janette smiled. Her baby would be an absolute doll, thanks to this woman. Melissa Scully. What an odd last name, Janette thought to herself. She'd never heard that one before.

It wasn't long before she was implanted with the eggs, and began growing. The baby was healthy, so the doctor's said, and everything would be perfect. It was a girl, Janette had wanted to know from the very beginning. A baby girl. Janette couldn't believe it. Maybe this would even mend her and Mike's marital dilemna.

But it didn't. 6 months into her pregnancy, Mike left her alone with no money, and no support. Janette was alone, and had no way of supporting her unborn daughter. Janette had tried and tried to come up with a perfect solution, but nothing would work. She couldn't get a job, not while she was pregnant, and she had no education to speak of. There was no way she'd be able to get a job that would pay the bills enough to take care of a baby. It was impossible!

It broke her heart when she signed the paper's, releasing her from all legal connections with her unborn child. The social workers told her the baby would be taken from her as soon as it was delivered, and that she wouldn't have the right to see the baby after it was born. It would be a ward of the state from the very beginning. Janette was a mess, but she signed the papers anyway. What choice did she have? At least if she turned the baby over to the state, she would have a chance at being adopted. With her biological mother's good looks, she would be gorgeous, that was for sure.

Now, as Janette sat, rubbing her stomach and talking to the baby girl who would be born in less than a month, she felt tears threatening to escape. _God, this is so hard, why can't I keep her?_ She asked the ceiling, hoping for a miracle, an answer, a way out. But it was too late. She had signed the paper's. The baby was no longer legally hers, whether she still carried it or not.

As Janette rubbed a tear from her eye, she thought she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Janette inclined her head slightly, looking through the crack in the doorframe, where she had closed the door. _Must be the cat._ Janette sighed to herself, as she leaned back. But then she saw Preston curled up on his little pillow in the corner of the room. He wasn't in the kitchen.

The noise continued, and seemed to be getting louder and louder. Janette felt her heart racing. She swore she could hear _whispering._

She stood quietly, and reached for the phone. Then everything happened so quickly.

The kitchen door swung open violently, and three men dressed in black ski masks and white lab coats ran toward her, one carrying a gun, and holding it up at her. He was yelling something at her, but she couldn't make it out. One of the men grabbed hold of her and held her down. She tried to scream, but there was already a rag shoved in her mouth to keep her from making any noises. All she could make out was the logo on their lab coats before they did what they did.

Marzulli's Laboratories.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

_Present day: Washington, DC - February, 1997..._

"You have the right to remain silent..." Fox Mulder recited casually as he tightened handcuffs around the thick wrists of a tall, chubby man. His partner, Dana Scully, watched him from a distance, sipping from her cup of coffee while leaning against their police cruiser. She stifled a yawn, as Mulder shoved their suspect into a police car, and watched as the car drove away.

Scully turned in the direction of the run down house they had just arrested the guy from, and saw policemen lead three frightened women out of the house, all wrapped in police blankets. Scully felt a twinge of sympathy for those girls. She knew as an FBI agent, she was required to distance herself from any emotion, but still, after what that man had put those girls through...she didn't even want to think about it.

She noticed Mulder's presence immediately as he joined her, grabbing his own coffee from the inside of their car.

"It's stone cold." He pointed out, as he spilled the remaining contents in a nearby snowbank. He looked up at Scully, then toward the victims who were being offered hot coffee. "The guy'll probably get three consequetive life sentences for the three women he murdered, on top of the kidnaping charges he'll get for those three." He explained in a monotone voice. Scully only stared at him with one raised eyebrow. She didn't say a word. She didn't have to.

Mulder noticed her glare, and finally breathed out, spreading his arms wide.

"Okay, let's have it Scully." He said. Scully shook her head with a sigh.

"I simply want to point out that you were wrong, Mulder, again." She replied.

"Scully, you can't discount the fact that the evidence was leading toward-"

"Mulder, the evidence was not suggesting these women were being abducted by aliens." She pointed out flatly. Mulder just stared at her for a moment before his lips curled into a smile.

"With the evidence we had, it very well could have been." He said carefully. "Even _you_ can't deny that." Scully gave a small nod.

"The evidence may not have had a scientific explanation for any of the events or situations that happened, but Mulder, that doesn't mean you can automatically assume supernatural abduction."

"Scully, I never assume anything. You should know that better than anyone else. Everything I theorize is based on cold, hard facts. The truth _is_ out there, even if it does sound...weird." Mulder headed toward the passenger side of the car, rubbing his gloved hands for warmth. Scully sighed to herself, as she took one last look at the crime scene, distanced herself from it as she had been trained to do as an FBI agent, and lowered herself into the driver's side, getting a sideways smirk from her partner, Fox Mulder.

* * *

As they drove back to the office, Scully reflected on what Mulder had said back at the crime scene. _You should know better than anyone else. Everything I theorize is based on cold, hard facts._ Scully couldn't deny that. The past five years working with Mulder on X-File investigation had proven many times to threaten Scully's firm belief in scientific explanations and causes to everything. Every case Mulder and Scully had worked on together had caused arguments between the two partners. Mulder with his insistence in extra-terrestrial life, and Scully with her adament belief that everything required a logical explanation. Many cases remained unsolved, and Scully had to do her best to forget them, because thinking about them caused her to question science, and come close to believing Mulder's theory that there was more to this universe than what was tangible.

Despite the fact that the two partners disagreed on 90% of their cases, Scully admired Mulder a great deal, and respected him. She enjoyed working with him, and one day, she hoped, he would admit she had been right all along. There is always a scientific explanation.

Half an hour passed and they had arrived back at FBI headquarters. In the privacy of their dingy little basement office, Mulder seemed to become a whole new person. Stretching his arms over his head, Mulder let out a long yawn as he ripped his suit jacket off, revealing a white shirt and blue tie. It was Scully's favourite tie, in fact, she was pretty certain it was the tie she had gotten him for Christmas last year. She pretended not to notice.

Mulder lowered himself into his chair, as he grabbed a pencil and threw it at the roof. Scully rolled her eyes to herself as she sat down at her own desk, booting up her computer.

"What are you doing?" Mulder asked in a tired voice.

"Writing up the report for Skinner." Scully said as-a-matter-of-factly. Silence ensued, and soon all that could be heard was the tapping of Scully's fingers on her keyboard. Mulder wasn't talking, which was odd. It either meant he had fallen asleep, or he was staring at that poster again. Scully wondered to herself how many times he was going to stare at that poster. By now, he must have had it visually memorized.

_Deceased victims: Jane Kresnon, 27; Trina Jones, 25; Leslie Monashin, 28._ She typed.

"She's still out there, Scully." Mulder's voice pierced through the silence, and Scully nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned quickly in her chair to face him, and there he was, staring at his poster, and the school picture of a young girl that was beside it. His sister.

Scully didn't have to ask him who he was talking about. It plagued him every day of his life. The day his little sister mysteriously disappeared from her bedroom. Mulder claimed she was abducted by aliens, and that he had seen her floating from her bed, and the room was filled with lights before she was gone. Scully had never questioned him on it, but knew herself it made no logical sense, being that aliens didn't exist, but he had been obsessed about his sister's disappearance since the day she disappeared. Scully guessed that was how he got involved in the X-Files in the first place.

"They've still got her." Mulder said silently. Scully assumed he was talking about extra-terrestrials. Scully sighed to herself.

"Mulder, you don't know that." She said quietly. What else was she supposed to say? God, she felt for the guy. She understood perfectly what it was to have lost a sister. She quietly remembered Melissa, her older sister, unfairly taken from this world.

As though Mulder had read her mind, he turned in his own chair, and faced her.

"How's everyone been holding up?" He asked. Scully looked up.

"Sorry?" She asked.

"Your family. You know, since Melissa..." He didn't continue. He didn't have to. It was still fresh in everyone's mind. Melissa had been killed, the circumstances of her death were hardly easy to forget.

Scully shrugged as she looked back to her computer.

"Mom's been doing alright, keeping busy for the most part. I hardly talk to my brothers, but mom says they're doing fine, keeping up at work and with their families. Everyone's doing fine." She explained. Silence followed for only a moment before Mulder broke through a second time.

"But how have _you_ been?" He asked.

Scully stopped. Mulder had never been one to hold back. He always asked Scully the difficult questions that often made her uncomfortable, but he never held back.

Scully turned and stared at him with a raised eyebrow and a sigh.

"Mulder, why are you asking me this? It's been two years since Melissa died. I'm fine." She turned back to her computer, and left Mulder to his own thoughts. But as she continued Skinner's report, she felt that familiar lump forming in her throat that threatened tears. God, she missed Melissa. Maybe she couldn't admit it to Mulder, but she couldn't deny herself the simple truth that she was _not_ fine. Her sister was killed, she would never see her again.

Quickly pressing the memories to the back of her mind, she continued to type:

_Victims found alive: Stacey Orissa, 24; Larissa Jasy, 29; Mona Furello, 26._


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

_Deerfield, IL_

Why couldn't life be like her books?

Kayla had read through most of the works of fiction they had in the small library at the Group Home, each one nicely concluded with a typical happy ending. Kayla loved reading about them, but she often wondered where her happy ending was, if there ever would be one.

She was 16 years old, living in the State Group Home in Deerfield, Illinois. She'd been there for a few years now, and was just as miserable there as she had been at the last group home she'd been at.

Sighing, she placed her bookmark in_ Pride and Prejudice_, and placed the book on her nightstand. She pulled back her covers mechanically, thinking about her day. Another bad day, she reflected. What else was new on days like these? It was the weekend, which meant another Open Dorm Day. God, Kayla hated them. It was the one day of the week when couples came to discuss with their social workers possibilities for foster placement. Today was the same as every other week since Kayla had been here. Many girls got placed. Many girls were moving away next week. But once again, Kayla had not been placed.

It was because Kayla was different.

Kayla didn't like it, but she had come to accept the fact that nobody wanted her. She knew the reason, too, that didn't mean she had to like it. Why should she be punished for something she couldn't control? She wasn't in control of it, but it scared people. She didn't blame them. It scared _her, _and the worst part was that she didn't remember any of it, after it was over. All she ever remembered was the flashes. Flashes of green light. She didn't know what any of it meant. She just assumed it was part of the "condition" nobody could figure out.

She only knew what her doctors told her. They called it a form of epilepsy, but not like any other case they've ever seen before. It was no _wonder_ nobody wanted her. She was a freak of nature.

It was bad enough the couples who came to visit wanted nothing to do with her, but what made it worse was the constant teasing she endured throughout the week by the rest of the girls at the Home. She had no friends, it wasn't like that was new for her. She had a hard time keeping friends after they knew about her problem, but here, it was worse than just being lonely. It was the constant tormenting from her peers that kept Kayla so reserved and withdrawn. She'd been called everything from "Twilight Zone" to the "Creature of the Black Lagoon." It was obvious to Kayla. She was considered a freak.

Kayla got under her covers and grabbed _Pride and Prejudice _again, pretending that she was Elizabeth Bennett. She had a family, sisters who loved her, and best of all, a man who eventually married her because he saw her as his soul mate. Why couldn't life be like her books?

"Reynolds!" Kayla jumped and looked up. It was her three roommates, Britt, Taylor and Carrie. They were the worst of the girls here, and Kayla had to _live_ in the same room as them. Kayla had tried to fight to get her own room, but the social workers thought it would be best if she was integrated with other girls her own age, to try and force her to be more social.

"What?" Kayla asked, putting her book down. She tried to keep herself reserved, she knew even a simple tone of voice could set these girls off. Kayla just kept quiet 90% of the time.

"Terri wants you." Britt said, as she and her friends came in and started putting on their pajamas. "She told us to tell you to get your butt down to her office." Carrie and Taylor laughed. Kayla got up and put on her slippers.

"Honestly, why do we have to share a room with her anyway?" Carrie asked, as though Kayla wasn't standing right there.

"I don't know, but it's annoying as hell. This room would be perfect if it wasn't tainted by the presence of a _freak_." Taylor replied. Britt laughed.

"It's okay guys, she won't be here much longer. Pretty soon they'll realize nobody wants her and they'll send her to another home again." She said. Kayla pretended she didn't hear them as she left her room and headed down to the offices. _Don't listen to them. Don't listen to them._ She told herself. Who was she kidding? She couldn't ignore it, no matter how hard she tried.

The sound of distant laughter following her, Kayla made her way down to the offices where her social worker, Terri, was apparently waiting for her.

Terri Secreast was Kayla's social worker. Actually, she was responsible for all the girls' whose last names fell between N and S. Kayla hardly talked to her, there really wasn't any need to. Terri spent most of her time talking to the girls who were getting placed in homes. Terri only ever talked to Kayla when it was time to see the doctor again, or if she thought something was seriously wrong. Kayla wondered what it would be this time.

She knocked quietly on the door and heard Terri yell "come in." Kayla entered and there was Terri, just getting off the phone. Kayla sat down and looked around at the familiar surroundings. Photographs of Terri's family were all over the office. Her husband John, and her three kids, Stephanie, Joey and Peter, all with the same head of blonde hair their mother had. So far, only Stephanie had needed glasses, inheriting her mother's bad eyesight. Kayla sighed. Was Terri trying to rub it in? It wasn't very sensitive, with a Home filled mostly of orphans. Nobody had the guts to say anything to her though.

Kayla pulled on the edge of her sleeve while she waited for Terri to be finished. She noticed the pile of folders on Terri's desk. The files of all the girls who had been placed today. Terri was obviously finalizing the placements. Kayla felt like she was being tortured. _God Terri, hurry the hell up._

"Kayla, sorry about that, I didn't expect you to come down so fast." Terri said as she hung up the phone. Kayla shrugged casually, internalizing once again. Terri looked at Kayla seriously, but Kayla didn't look up, she never did, but she could feel Terri's glare.

"How are you doing, Kay?" Terri asked. Kayla shrugged. Was that why Terri brought her down here? To see if she was okay? What did _she_ think? This was only like the five-hundredth time she'd been rejected for foster placement.

"Why'd you stay in your room all day, Kay? You know we encourage being a little more social. That's how you meet our clients, you know? That's how you get placed." Terri pointed out. Kayla shrugged once again. She didn't say anything. Why should she? Didn't Terri know anything? Even if she had been out socializing, like she had in the past, the couples who may have been interested would quickly say no once they saw her medical records, just as they always had in the past. Why should it be any different this time? She thought it would just be better if she stayed in her room.

"Come on, Kay, you do want to be placed, don't ya? You could try a little harder." Terri said. Kayla's eyes shot up and stared at Terri coldly. That was it!

"Try a little harder? Are you _kidding_ me? You know how many times I've been rejected! It's not like anybody wants me anyway, so it's better for me just to stay in my room, and do something constructive!" She yelled.

"Kay!" Terri warned.

"I've been in this stupid system for 16 years! Everyone else here has only been in the system for a few years or so. They only have to wait a few years, well I've been waiting my _whole life!_ God, even the _one_ time I was placed, I was there for, what, a week before they realized the freak I was and sent me back! I'm not stupid, Terri! There isn't any hope for me, I've accepted it, it's _okay!_ Just don't tell me to try harder!" Kayla said.

Terri stared at her in surprise. Kayla hardly _ever_ talked, and the few times she did, they were usually outbursts like this, but for the most part, nobody ever heard Kayla speak out. Terri never took lip from any of her girls, but she couldn't justify yelling at Kayla for the outburst. She knew how hard it must be for Kayla. Terri breathed out.

"Kayla, I know it's hard. I'm sorry." Terri knew she should change the topic quickly. This obviously wasn't working. "Have you...had anymore...episodes lately?"

That was a topic that needed careful consideration as well. Kayla was sensitive about her disorder, if that was what you could call it. Kayla simply shook her head.

"Why does it even matter?" She asked.

"Kayla, I asked you a question." Terri replied, a little impatiently. Kayla didn't say anything, but Terri knew there were more episodes. Otherwise Kayla would just tell her there weren't any. Terri sighed.

"Maybe you should see the doctor again. Don't look at me like that, Kayla. Nothing bad's gonna happen. They'll probably just try a new medicine. It might work this time." She said, trying to be optimistic. Who was she kidding, though? Nobody knew what was wrong with Kayla. Not even the doctor.

Kayla shook her head and stared at Terri seriously.

"Terri, what if it's not something that can be fixed with medication? What if it's something else?" She asked. Terri stared at her and shook her head.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kayla. And don't be so pessimistic, either. The doctors'll figure it out some day, and then you'll be fine." She said, as she stood up. "You'd better get to bed. You have class in the morning."

Kayla sighed and turned to go, but as she walked away, she felt Terri grab a hold of her arm and pull her back. Kayla gasped as she turned around, and saw Terri staring at Kayla's wrist. Kayla swallowed, as Terri found her eyes.

"What is this, Kayla?" Terri asked her seriously, as she pointed out the straight thin cut on Kayla's wrist. Kayla looked at Terri again.

"It was Mischief." She replied, referring to the Group Home's cat. Terri didn't let go of Kayla's arm as she stared at her. Kayla didn't move.

"Are you sure, Kayla?" Terri asked. Kayla nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Stupid thing." She replied. Terri hesitated for a moment, but finally let Kayla go. Kayla took off, and as Terri sat down at her desk, she knew that cut hadn't been caused by the cat at all.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

_Washington, DC_

Scully breathed out slowly once she got in her car at FBI Headquarters. She rubbed her temples in hopes of massaging the headache right out of her. She and Mulder had just gotten out of a rough meeting with their superior, Skinner, who bereted them for a good couple of hours about the last case they had been pursuing. Skinner was not impressed with Mulder's apparent wild goose chase in the kidnapping/murder case they had just closed. Scully sighed. Skinner had never been a fan of Fox Mulder, and his belief in extra-terrestrial activity in the world at large. Scully was just as skeptical, but Skinner was in charge, and he felt Mulder's theories and hypotheses only placed the FBI in compromising situations that undermined their reputation.

Scully started the car, relieved the meeting was over. As she pulled out of her parking space, she couldn't help but wonder how Mulder could shrug what Skinner said off so easily. "We could have found the guy a lot sooner had you not pursued dead ends about alien abduction. We could have caught him before he killed more girls!" Skinner had said. Scully couldn't understand how Mulder didn't take any of that to heart. He was stone cold, sometimes. It seemed the only thing he ever cared about was proving his theories, finding his sister. Determination was his drive. Scully could never understand it.

She pulled into her apartment parking lot and grabbed her briefcase. Glad to be home for the rest of the day, she took the elevator up to her floor and unlocked her door, allowing herself into her cozy apartment.

Scully tossed her briefcase on the couch, and pressed "play" on her answering machine. As she listened to her messages, she checked her mail at the same time. Bill, bill, bill. Scully sighed, and threw the mail back on the counter, listening half-heartedly to the messages on her machine. There was one from her mother, "just checking in." Scully ignored it, as she put on the kettle to make herself some tea. The next message was a random click. Somebody must have hung up. Scully removed her jacket as she waited for the next message.

"Dana Scully!" Scully immediately took notice, for the voice on the machine was not only one she didn't recognize, but the woman sounded panicked.

Scully dropped her coat and walked briskly to the machine, where the message continued.

"You have to protect her. They know, and they want her. You're the only one who can protect her now." The voice was breathing heavily now. "This line might be tapped. I have to hang up now. I left you a package in your post office box. Everything you need to know is in there. Protect her, Dana. You're all she has!" The line went dead.

Scully stared at the machine dumbfounded. Who the _hell_ was that? Who was she talking about? _You have to protect her._ Protect who? Scully rewound the tape and listend to the message again, hoping for more clues, but nothing helped. The woman was a stranger, Scully didn't recognize the voice, and who was she talking about? _I left you a package in your post office box. Everything you need to know is in there._ Who was she supposed to protect?

Not knowing what else to do, or who else to call, she picked up her phone and dialed Mulder's number. He answered after a few rings. She cut to the chase, and told him all about the mystery message. Mulder breathed out.

"Sounds like a mystery, Scully. You sure you have no idea who would have left you a message like that?" He asked.

"Mulder, trust me, it's a complete stranger. She sounded panicked, like it was urgent I had to protect her." Scully replied.

"Protect who?" Mulder asked.

"Mulder, be realistic. If I knew, would I be calling you?"

"Maybe you should go check out what's in your mailbox. She said all the information you needed was there. Maybe once you see what she left for you, all this will make sense."

"I want to know how the hell she got my mailbox number."

"Maybe she didn't. Maybe this is some practical joke, but you should check it out before you assume anything. You know what they say about people who assume." Mulder laughed a little. Scully breathed out. Did he think he was funny?

"You're right, I'll check my mailbox." She said simply.

"And Scully?" Mulder asked, before Scully hung up the phone. Scully waited.

"Bring you gun...just in case."

* * *

Scully would have brought her gun anyway. She was, after all, a trained FBI agent. She didn't leave the apartment without her gun safely in tow. There was too much that could happen. And if someone was leaving packages in her mailbox, somebody knew who she was. Scully wouldn't take chances.

She headed to the post office down the street where her post office box was. She kept an eye out for any suspiscious behaviour, but she wasn't exactly expecting anything dangerous. She had been out of the apartment all day. For all she knew, whoever left the package could have done so hours ago; they'd be long gone by now. Scully sighed. _If there's a package at all. _

Box 5693. Scully pulled out her key and unlocked her box. Sure enough, there was a large manilla envelope stuffed into the small mailbox. Scully had a hard time pulling it out without ripping it at the edges. What was going on?

Scully quickly yanked the envelope out of the box, slammed her box shut, and very nearly ran back to her apartment. Her curiosity was sparked. Who was she supposed to protect? Who knew what? Nothing was making any sense. _Hopefully this envelope has some answers in it._

She found a comfortable spot on her sofa and ripped open the envelope. She couldn't help but notice her heart was beating. Whoever had contacted her sounded upset, worried, panicked even. And for some reason, that woman believed Scully was the only person to help protect her. _Protect who?_

Scully pulled out a file folder from the envelope, a file folder with a name scrawled across the tab in red ink. "Kayla Reynolds." Scully immediately puckered her brow. The name didn't ring a bell. In fact, she was absolutely positive she had never heard the name.

She opened the file without a second thought. She wanted to get to the bottom of this, whatever was going on.

On top of a pile of paper was a photograph, paperclipped to to the rest of the papers. It was a picture of a teenage girl, her dark hair pulled back by a headband, and a sad look to her. The photo was obviously a school picture, but the girl was not smiling. That wasn't what struck Scully, though. That wasn't what made her heart start racing.

The girl, Kayla Reynolds, looked nearly _identical_ to what Melissa had looked like when she was in high school. This girl, whoever she was, was the spitting image of Scully's older sister, when she was alive.

Scully felt herself growing emotional, and quickly pushed the thought aside. _It's just a coincidence._ She thought to herself, as she began flipping through the files.

Her heart stopped.

It was no coincidence.

There was the hospital printout. Right there. The DNA evidence to prove the relationship between Kayla Reynolds and Melissa Scully. Scully knew what the numbers meant. What the graphs meant. What the statistics meant. DNA results like that could only mean one thing. Melissa Scully was the biological parent of this teenage girl, Kayla.

Scully couldn't breath as she read the reports included in the file from a place called Marzulli Labs, detailing the process by which Melissa Scully donated her eggs to this laboratory, which were then implanted in a woman named Janette Reynolds, who was eager to have children. Melissa had signed off, agreeing that she would have no rights to the child once it was born, and she would never know anything about the child. Janette Reynolds would be the legal mother. According to this file, the child was handed over into the care of the state right after the girl was born, and was now residing in a State Group Home in Deerfield, Illinois.

Scully swallowed hard, trying to make sense of all this new information. The file was filled to the brim containing information about this teenage girl, date of birth, medical records, everything, but what caught Scully's attention was a yellow post-it note stuck to the front of the DNA printouts. In messy blue ink, the note read, "They know, and they want her! Protect her, please!"

Scully leaned back and stared at the photograph, stared at the DNA results, started at the printout from Marzulli's Labs, all proving that Melissa had donated her eggs to a woman who couldn't get pregnant. Somewhere out there was a teenage girl who was Melissa's biological daughter. Scully shook her head, pressing her hand gently to her forehead. So many questions were whirling through her head. Why in the world hadn't Melissa ever confided to Scully that she had donated her eggs over 16 years ago? Why hadn't Melissa been contacted when the child was handed over to the State. Wouldn't she have had legal rights, being the girl's mother? _Melissa never would have wished her to become a ward of the state, even if she hadn't had any real plans to be a mother. She wouldn't have wished that on any child._

Scully breathed out, reading over all of the information again and again, trying to make it real in her mind, trying to make it make sense. All this time, 16 years, Melissa had a daughter that nobody ever talked about, that nobody ever _knew_ about. Scully stared at those DNA results until the sun went down.

Finally, she picked up the phone and called Mulder. She told him everything.

"I'll be right over." He said.

Scully flipped through the rest of the pages, reading all the demographic information about Kayla that she could get. There were photographs of the girl as a child, and once again, Scully was painfully reminded of Melissa. As skeptical as Scully was trained to be in situations like these, it was difficult to discount the evidence, and the resemblance was uncanny.

Mulder knocked on her door half an hour later or so, and Scully let him in, handing him the file right away.

He sat next to Scully and looked through it as carefully as she had, while she looked over his shoulder at the information again. She shook her head. Everything felt so surreal.

Silence followed for a long time, until Mulder sighed, closed the file and looked at Scully.

"What do you think?" He asked. Scully stared at him, bewildered.

"Mulder, I don't know _what_ to think."

"Do you think it's true?"

"Do I think that my sister donated her eggs and has a teenage daughter out there somewhere that nobody ever knew about? I don't know, Mulder, I mean the information in this file seems to point in that direction, but I can't understand why Mel would keep a secret like that from us." Scully replied.

"Maybe she just thought she was doing a good deed, you know. It's not something you go around bragging about."

"That's not the point, I'm her _sister._ Now, I get this file about this girl, and I don't know what to think."

"What do you think this is all about?" Mulder pointed to the post-it note. "Who do you think _they_ are? Do you think this girl is in any kind of real danger?" Mulder asked. Scully spread her arms out wide.

"Mulder, I don't even know who this girl _is,_ nor do I have any idea who's sending me this information. She said on the answering machine I'm the only one who can protect her now. I have no idea what to protect her from. I don't even know who she is!" She said, frustrated beyond belief. It had been such a long day already with the meeting with Skinner, and now this. Scully felt she needed a drink.

Mulder leaned back, and closed the file once again, and stared at Scully.

"I think we need to investigate this a little further." He said. Scully turned and looked at him.

"Sorry?" She asked.

"I think we need to dig a little deeper into this. It's obvious this has something to do with you. You're Melissa's sister, after all. Somebody obviously knew that, and somehow, they think you're the one who can protect her."

"Mulder, I'm not sure..."

"Why not, you want answers, don't you?" Mulder paused. "If the girl in the picture is who this file says she is, then I hate to be blunt, but that means you have a niece out there somewhere, a niece who could be in danger. And according to whoever this source is, you're the only one who can protect her."

Scully leaned back, weighing Mulder's words. She still wasn't sure if this was all a hoax, or if it was true. Melissa always liked to help people, Scully knew that for sure. She didn't know if Melissa donated those eggs or not, but it would be like her. _16 years..._

Scully looked at the photograph, those dark brown eyes, those high cheekbones, that stubby little nose - Kayla looked just like Melissa did when she was 16. Scully sighed. _You're the only one who can protect her now._ What if this girl was in danger? Even if she wasn't related to her, wasn't it her job to protect the people?

Scully finally relented and agreed with Mulder. They were going to Deerfield, Illinois.


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

_Deerfield, IL_

Kayla pinched the corners of her sweater as she sat cross-legged on the long bench outside of room 473 on Thursday morning. Classes had ended for the day and Terri had told her that the doctor was coming in again today, and Kayla had an appointment.

Now Kayla waited outside, feeling nervous as always. She hated seeing the doctors, _hated_ it! She must have seen a hundred different doctors in her lifetime, and they all had the same thing to say. It was a rare case they had never seen before, and they often referred Kayla to another doctor, and the cycle would continue.

Kayla sighed. This doctor came to the Group Home every Monday and Thursday, and saw Kayla more often than any other doctor. At least with this doctor, there was some level of consistency, but still, Kayla hated it. She saw this doctor at least once every two weeks, if not more, depending on how often Terri thought Kayla needed to be seen. Terri sent her today because she thought Kayla might need new medication.

Kayla thought the whole thing was stupid, and unnecessary, but like everyone else in this stupid place, Kayla's voice was rarely heard. No matter how many times she tried to tell the doctors, tell Terri, that she never once believed what she had was a medical condition, everyone gave her the same pat answer. "Kayla, leave this to the professionals. Everything will be alright."

Kayla was sick of it. The general consensus on her 'disorder' was that she had a severe, but rare form of epilepsy, one in which nobody had ever heard of before. The doctors tried to assure her there was nothing to worry about, new diseases were being discovered all the time. They'd figure out how to treat it eventually. But Kayla wasn't so convinced. She had done research on epilepsy on her own time, and from what she had found in the medical journals at the public library, what she had sounded nothing like epilepsy. No, Kayla was convinced it was something more. Nowhere in any of the medical journals did it say anything about memory loss during a seizure, not to mention she never had the typical seizure experience of convulsing from head to toe. According to her eye witnesses, Kayla entered into a nearly catatonic state. How could you explain _that?_ The medical journals sure didn't.

But still, nobody listened to Kayla, they were the adults, let them be in charge. Kayla hated it, and wished there was somebody out there who knew what was really wrong with her. Like her birth parents. Maybe there was some defective gene that had been passed down. Kayla had suggested that once as well, in the attempts to find her birth parents, but Terri had told her that wouldn't happen. She wouldn't tell her why. Kayla hated being treated like a child. She was 16 years old.

She was thrown back to reality when she heard the door open. Kayla turned her head to see a girl she recognized from a higher grade coming out of the office. The girl, Ashley, turned and stared at Kayla, and rolled her eyes. Kayla didn't give it a second thought, as Ashley walked away. She was used to the "freak" look she received from everyone in this stupid place. She quickly forgot it.

"Hey Kayla, come on in." Kayla looked up and saw that Dr. Mitchell was standing in the doorway. Kayla sighed and followed the young doctor into the small examining room that Dr. Mitchell used when she came down from the hospital two days a week.

Kayla liked Dr. Mitchell, despite hating doctors in general. At least Dr. Mitchell was nice to her, she never once treated her like a freak, or like a disease that couldn't be fixed. All the other doctors just reacted in shock and rejection. Some had even claimed she was making the whole thing up, for attention. "I understand you feel lost in the crowd, but if you want attention, there are better ways to go about getting it." A doctor had told her once. Dr. Mitchell was different. Kayla didn't know why, but she never treated her like an outsider, she seemed genuine about wanting to help her. Maybe it was because Dr. Mitchell liked her job, Kayla wasn't sure, but the young doctor wasn't always looking for the quick fix, like the other doctors. Other doctors were quick to prescribe as many different drugs as possible. Dr. Mitchell tried to get inside Kayla's mind, ask her how the whole thing made her feel. Kayla thought Dr. Mitchell would have made a better psychologist than a doctor, but maybe that was what made her such a good doctor in the first place. Dr. Mitchell always told Kayla that her goal was to make her feel better, whatever that meant. But even Dr. Mitchell couldn't find an explanation.

"Have a seat, Kayla." Dr. Mitchell said with a bright smile, as she grabbed Kayla's file from her desk. Kayla sat down and waited as Dr. Mitchell perused the file.

"Terri wanted me to see you about possibly switching to another med." She said, more to herself than anything. Kayla rolled her eyes. Dr. Mitchell caught it.

"You don't want to try another medication?" She asked. Kayla looked up and simply shook her head. Dr. Mitchell nodded, and placed the file down.

"What's going on with the stuff you're on now?" She asked, staring at Kayla seriously. Kayla shook her head.

"Nothing. It doesn't work. Just like the six million other pills I've been stuck on." She said bitterly. Dr. Mitchell laughed a little.

"That's probably a slight exageration."

"Yeah."

"Kayla, can I ask you something?"

"Uh-huh."

"What do _you_ think would work?"

Kayla paused and stared at her doctor, who was looking at her intentionally. That was what made Dr. Mitchell such a good doctor. She wanted to know what Kayla thought, felt. Kayla sighed.

"I don't think anything will work." She answered honestly.

"Why not?" Dr. Mitchell asked.

"Because...look, what if it's not epilepsy?" Kayla shifted the discussion a little, and seemed to catch Dr. Mitchell off guard a little.

"What?" She asked.

"What if it's not epilepsy? I mean, if it were, wouldn't I remember stuff? I completely black out, and don't remember anything. I _lose_ time! And there's no convulsions or anything! That's not a seizure." Kayla replied. Dr. Mitchell stared at her with a raised eyebrow, and then smiled a little.

"You've been researching." She pointed out.

"I don't want to be medicated." Kayla said quietly, crossing her arms and staring at the floor.

"I know. I understand Kayla, but we want to fix this, don't we?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Kayla sighed. Yes, she wanted to fix this, but nobody understood. They could drug her until she was blue in the face, but Kayla was convinced it wouldn't do anything to her. This was something else, but she couldn't get anybody else to understand that.

"I guess so." Kayla mumbled in defeat.

"Alright, tell you what, we'll try a new med, okay? We'll see if this one works. If you have any problems with them, or you think they're not working, you come and see me when I'm here, got it?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Kayla nodded.

"Okay, I'll send the script up to Terri and she'll have them for you next week." Dr. Mitchell said, standing up. Kayla stood and headed for the door. She stopped.

Dr. Mitchell was jotting down a note for herself when she looked up and saw that Kayla was still standing in her office.

"Kayla, was there something else?" She asked. There was no response. Dr. Mitchell puckered her brow, and walked toward Kayla slowly.

"Kayla, you okay?" She asked again. Still no response. Dr. Mitchell walked in front of Kayla, and immediately recognized that look in her eye.

She was having an episode.

Kayla's eyes remained fixed on something that wasn't there, and the girl's lips were moving as though speaking, but nothing was coming out. She had broken out into a cold sweat. Dr. Mitchell recognized the starting signs.

She grabbed hold of the rigid girl and eased her gently into a chair.

"Kayla, talk to me, you're going to get through this, alright? Just focus on me." Dr. Mitchell said gently, holding Kayla's shoulders steady. Kayla's body was shaking, but not convulsing. Just trembling ever so slightly. Kayla's wide eyes remained fixated, and her breathing became more laboured as she began rocking in the chair.

"Kayla!" Dr. Mitchell tried more abruptly, but Kayla's thin lips began moving again, and this time Dr. Mitchell could make out whispering. Dr. Mitchell wasn't surprised, she had seen Kayla's episodes on more than one occassion, but it wasn't very often she was able to make out what Kayla was saying.

"Someone's coming." Dr. Mitchell thought she heard. She ignored it. Kayla often spoke in jibberish when this happened.

Dr. Mitchell grabbed hold of her phone and dialed up to Terri's office.

"Terri, you might want to get down here." Dr. Mitchell sighed. "It's Kayla."

She ignored the frustrated sigh on the other line and went back to attending to Kayla, trying to snap her out of it.

"Kayla, come on honey, you can come out of this, just try." She said quietly, checking Kayla's pulse quickly.

Terri arrived seconds later, and stared at Kayla with unsurprised eyes. She breathed out.

"Again." She muttered under her breath. Dr. Mitchell ignored her as she waited for Kayla to come out of it.

It didn't take long, it never did. Dr. Mitchell recognized Kayla's eyes fluttering, her breathing becoming more regulated, and the sudden collapse of her body, as though she were going to faint. Dr. Mitchell held her up.

Kayla's eyes fluttered back open and when she recognized Dr. Mitchell's concerned face, and Terri rolling her eyes, Kayla knew it must have happened again.

"Take it easy, Kayla, you're okay." Dr. Mitchell said quietly, as she ran over to grab a glass of water. Kayla fought to remember everything that had happened as Terri and Dr. Mitchell had a conversation.

"Please tell me you're putting her on something new." Terri said, out of breath.

"Yeah, Terri, I'm prescribing her something else, but I think you should be aware that she's apprehensive about being on any medication. She doesn't feel like it's helping." Dr. Mitchell replied, handing Kayla a glass of water. She gave her a smile when Kayla took a sip.

"That's because we haven't found the right drug yet. There's gotta be _something_ we can do to stop it. I've got to think of the other girls too, Liz. None of them like seeing Kayla like that. I mean, it happens _everywhere._ Try having to explain to the younger girls why Kayla suddenly goes spacey during dinner, or in class. It's not easy." Terri explained. Dr. Mitchell stole a glance at Kayla, who kept her head down. She could hear everything they were saying. Who was she kidding? Terri thought she was just as much of a freak as the other girls did.

"I understand, Terri, but you have to be sensitive." Dr. Mitchell said. Terri was quiet for a moment, then sighed.

"Just send up the new script." Terri said, and Kayla heard the door close behind her.

Dr. Mitchell knelt down in front of Kayla, and took the glass of water away.

"Kayla, you feeling okay?" Dr. Mitchell asked quietly. Kayla shrugged.

"Do you remember anything?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Kayla tried again, but she only shook her head.

"Just getting up to leave." She said quietly, sighing. "How...how long was I, you know, out of it?"

"Only a few minutes, don't worry." Dr. Mitchell replied, but she realized Kayla wasn't impressed with that answer. She breathed out and took a hold of Kayla's hand, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"It's gonna be okay." She said quietly, and then she quickly changed her tone of voice. "What are these?"

Kayla looked down and realized her sleeve had rolled up slightly. Dr. Mitchell saw the three thin cuts on Kayla's wrist. Kayla instinctively pulled away, swallowing hard as she jumped up from the chair.

"Kayla, what are those?" Dr. Mitchell asked again. Kayla swallowed and cleared her throat.

"It's our cat. He's so stupid, he gets mad at everyone who crosses his path." Kayla forced a little laugh.

Dr. Mitchell took a step toward her and looked really concerned. Kayla tried to look confused, like she didn't know what Dr. Mitchell was thinking.

"Are you telling me the truth, Kayla?" She asked, only inches away from Kayla's face.

Kayla managed a nod, and turned toward the door. As she left, she couldn't help but feel her eyes stinging with unwanted tears. She hated herself for who she was, for what she was, and for what she had to hide.


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

_Chicago, IL_

Scully waited for Mulder in the lobby at the Chicago airport the following afternoon. He was calling a cab to pick them up at the airport and take them to Deerfield, where Kayla supposedly lived. Scully still wasn't sure about everything that was happening. It all seemed so surreal, so sudden, so suspiscious, but the proof was right in that file. _Why would anybody fake something like this?_ Still, her skepticism was high. To think she had a neice living in another state for sixteen years was uncanny, to say the least, and she still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that her sister had never confided this to her.

Scully had always considered she and Melissa to be close. Scully thought they had shared everything, especially concerning Scully's cancer scares. Why would Melissa be so obliged to keep something of this proportion a secret?

But again, Melissa was a humble person, who did things without bragging. Still, it was strange.

Scully breathed out. Soon enough, they would learn the truth, whether the whole thing was some strange setup, or if it was truth. She wasn't sure which she preferred.

She was grateful that Mulder had offered to come along. "Just for the hell of it. What can I say? You got me curious." He had said. Leave it to Mulder. Anything mysterious or lacking answers called out to Mulder, and he always answered. The two of them could easily take time off from the FBI, especially after their false leads with the last case. There wasn't a pressing need for the two agents at the moment.

Mulder approached her from behind, and dropped his carry-on.

"Car's on its way. The receptionist told me it's a little over half an hour's drive from here." Mulder paused. "Is this _all_ you brought?" He motioned to the one suitcase that was sitting next to Scully. Scully looked at him in surprise.

"Yes." She said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm surprised, women, you know they usually-" He stopped when Scully shot him a glare.

"Anyway, the cab should be here soon." He said, grabbing his own suitcase and heading for the front door. Scully shook her head and followed after him. Despite Mulder's insults and his strange theories, she was glad he had come. Whatever she was going to find out on this trip, she was grateful she had Mulder's support by her side.

* * *

The scenery was limited on the drive out to Deerfield, and the cab driver shared all his stories about growing up near Deerfield. Mulder pretended to be interested, which was fine with Scully. She didn't have the energy or motivation to humor a cabbie. She had other things to think about.

She perused the file once more on the drive up. No matter how skeptical she was about this teenage girl, she couldn't dispute the uncanny resemblance of the girl to Melissa's old high school pictures. That was the one selling point for Scully right now. She looked at the picture and breathed out. _Who are you? Why are you in danger?_ She thought to herself.

"Where'd you folks say you were going again?" The cabbie spoke up suddenly. Scully lifted her head.

"The State Group Home, please?" She requested. Mulder turned and stared at her, as the cabbie signalled to turn.

"What, you don't want to get a hotel first? Drop off our stuff?" He asked. Scully stared at him incredously.

"Mulder, we don't know what we're going to find here. There's a good chance this trip was a complete waste of time. We might not find anything here. Why get a hotel when we might be flying out in a couple of hours?" She asked. Mulder rolled his eyes.

"Well, aren't you the optimist?" He asked.

She glared at him.

"You gotta have some hope, Scully." Mulder said.

"Hope? For what, Mulder, hope that this kid is actually Melissa's? Then what? Whoever left that message said the girl was in danger. Whether she's Melissa's or not, it's our duty to make sure she's safe." Scully replied.

"But don't you want to know who she is?" Mulder asked. Scully wasn't sure. What would she do if this girl really _was_ Melissa's daughter? Were there any legal obligations tying her to this girl if they were biologically related? Scully didn't know enough about family law to understand how it all worked. She sighed, pushing that aside.

"I want answers, Mulder." She said simply, closing the file and sticking it in her bag.

Soon, the cab pulled into the parking lot of a large building. Scully quickly paid the cabbie and got out of the car. She looked up at the building, and felt her heart hammering against her chest. The FBI had taught her to keep her emotions in check when dealing with situations like this, but none of that had prepared her for dealing with something so close to home. She sighed.

"Ready?" Mulder asked, as the cab drove away. Scully nodded objectively, as she led the way to enter the building.

It was already later in the afternoon, so the place was bustling with girls anywhere from the age of 11 and older. Instinctively, Scully searched the faces for the girl who looked nearly identical to Melissa, but no such luck. That didn't mean she wasn't here, she told herself. Scully cleared her throat, and approached a younger girl.

"Excuse me, do you have a head office here?" She asked with a small smile. The girl nodded, and pointed out directions down a hallway. Scully thanked her and led the way down the long hallway to the end, where the girl had pointed out a large office with a sign that read, "Reception."

The woman sitting at the desk was on the phone when Scully and Mulder entered the room. The two FBI agents waited impatiently as the woman eyed them suspiciously while trying to finish up her conversation. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away.

Finally, the secretary hung up the phone and turned to the two agents.

"May I help you?" She asked. Scully nodded.

"Yes, I need to know who we can speak to about Kayla Reynolds." She replied casually, but straight to the point. The secretary raised an eyebrow, and her suspicions seemed to rise.

"And who might _you_ be?" She asked rudely. Scully stared at her, trying to figure out how she was supposed to explain this, how she was even supposed to-

"She's her aunt." Mulder said, motioning to Scully with a bit of a smile.

* * *

That was how Mulder and Scully ended up in Terri Donalson's office, a social worker who was apparently in charge of a large chunk of the girls at the State Home, including Kayla. The receptionist brought them into her office, and told them to wait, Terri was just finishing up some business, and would be right down. Mulder and Scully sat in front of a large desk, waiting. Scully took a glance around and saw pictures up on the walls of people she assumed were Terri's family. Mulder shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Scully asked. Mulder shrugged.

"Nothing, just what kind of social worker would put up pictures of her family? I mean, all these kids don't have families, do they? Isn't that a little harsh?" He asked. Scully hadn't even thought about that. She didn't have a chance to respond, because the door whipped open, and a woman entered the room, looking at them as though she forgot who they were.

"Oh, right." She said suddenly, and circled around to the other side of the desk, plopping herself down in her seat.

"Sorry about the wait. Bit of a 'crisis' going on upstairs. You know how girls can be. They get upset over the stupidest things. This one was upset because the boy down the street is going out with someone else, and she liked him. Drama, that's all I get here, is drama." Terri said, taking a long sip out of her coffee cup. She cleared her throat.

"Anyway, now that that's out of the way, I hear you're here to talk about Kayla." She added. Scully nodded. Terri eyed her for a moment before she continued.

"I hate to sound forward, but why? Who are you, exactly?" She asked. Again, Scully felt uncomfortable with this question, and Mulder jumped forward once again.

"She's Kayla's aunt." He offered. Scully stole a glance at Terri, who stared at the woman as though she were a raving lunatic. Scully immediately grew defensive.

"Look, I know how this sounds, okay? I get it. I understand a bit about how this system works. You're questioning why I have this sudden interest in Kayla, after all these years. It's not like that. My sister donated her eggs to some laboratory 16 years ago, and Kayla was the result of that. I never knew anything about her until someone dropped off this file," Scully reached into her bag and pulled out the file, pushing it across the desk for Terri to peruse, "This file shows DNA evidence that Kayla Reynolds is Melissa Scully's daughter. Melissa is...was my sister."

Terri looked through the file, not understanding all the printouts about genetic proof, but she looked up and gave a slight nod.

"Well, there aren't many people who know about Kayla's birth. Yeah, she was the result of that scientific crap. Some mother got some eggs donated and that was how Kayla was born. Social services never knew anything about the biological mother, well, the donor, I guess you'd call her. They dealt directly with the surrogate mother, or whatever you call it. The one who actually gave birth. Don't ask me, these things confuse the hell out of me." Terri shook her head. Mulder leaned forward.

"Terri, do you know of any reason why somebody might suspect Kayla is in danger?" He asked in his typical FBI interrogation voice. Terri puckered her brow.

"What?" She asked. Mulder reached for the folder and pointed out the post-it note. "They know, and they want her! Protect her, please," it read. Terri raised an eyebrow.

"Who send you this?" She wanted to know.

"We don't know, but whoever it is suspects Kayla is in some kind of danger, so would you have any idea as to why that might be?" Mulder asked again, closing the folder. Terri shook her head nervously.

"No, I have no idea," She paused, seemingly thinking about something, "I mean, we've received a few anonymous phone calls over the last few weeks, threats about Kayla."

"On her _life?_" Scully asked, surprised. How could this woman act so calm about this? Terri shook her head with a bit of a chuckle.

"No, nothing like that. You FBI agents are paranoid. It's been threats to take her." She explained.

"Why haven't the police been contacted?" Mulder asked, spreading his hands out innocently. Terri nodded.

"They have been. It's procedure, we contact them for situations like this all the time, but we get phone calls like this all the time, parents threatening to take their children back. We have procedures for things like that, they happen every day. The police don't really make it a priority. 95% of the threats are never followed through, so the cops are pretty laidback about it all." Terri paused. "I gotta tell you, though, it seems a little strange with Kayla. She's been a ward of the state since she was an infant, and nobody has ever heard anything concerning her. Nobody's ever called, nobody's ever wanted to take her back. So I gotta ask myself, why now? If it is her mother, why now?" Scully shared a glance with Mulder. Both knew what the other was thinking. There was a good chance it wasn't the mother. If it were, why would whoever sent Scully this package claim Kayla's life was in danger?

"Do you have any idea who would have sent me this?" She asked, holding up the file. Terri rolled her eyes.

"I'm as lost as you are. It's a mystery, isn't it? Must've been strange for you, minding your own business, and next thing you know, you're an aunt." She said, reaching for a cigarette. Scully nodded.

"Could you tell us a little bit about Kayla?" She asked, with a casual shrug. "There wasn't much in the file about her specifically." Terri shrugged.

"Not much to say. The kid mostly keeps to herself. She's a bit of an outcast around here. She doesn't have any friends, you know? Other kids make fun of her a lot." She explained.

"Why?" Mulder asked.

"She's, well, she's different, you know? I can't explain it, I don't understand medical mumbo jumbo, but at least she's being medicated for it." Terri replied. Scully puckered her brow, as she leaned forward.

"Medicated? Why? What's wrong with her?" She asked.

"Like I said, I don't understand it. The doctors say it's a form of epilepsy or something." Terri replied, finishing her cigarette.

Scully and Mulder shared another glance, and Mulder gave a nod. Strangely, Scully knew what he was thinking. She blamed years of being partners on being able to understand his thought processes without him ever having to say a word. Scully sighed, were they crawling out on a limb here? Was Kayla really in danger, or were these mysterious phone calls nothing to worry about? Still, her FBI instincts, or whatever they were, told her not to let this go. Maybe it wasn't the fact that she was an FBI agent. Maybe it was because this girl was Melissa's daughter, biologically at least. Maybe she wanted answers. She wasn't sure, but she went with it.

"Terri, I want to investigate this further. I know the police here don't seem concerned with the phone calls, but that on top of the messages I've been receiving, I don't want to take any chances. I'm not sure where this is headed, but now, I don't believe Kayla is safe here. This is no offense to you or the Home, but there are a lot of girls here who you need to divide your attention amongst. If the threats against Kayla are a real cause for concern, she needs to be removed so she can remain safe, as well as the rest of the girls here." Scully explained. Terri looked at her squarely and raised an eyebrow.

"What exactly are you suggesting?" She asked.

"I want to take her out of this State Home, take her with us, so I can have round-the-clock police protection and supervision around her until we can figure out who is behind all of this." Scully replied, gaining a supportive nod from her partner.

Terri didn't look convinced at first, but she finally shrugged her shoulders and gave a nod.

"Alright, if you really think she's in danger, then I guess that's the best thing for her. You're obviously FBI, so you know what you're doing, not to mention you're related to her." Terri saw the nervous look in Scully's eyes. "Don't worry, I don't plan on telling Kayla anything. I'll let you do it in your own time. Hey Britt!" Scully followed Terri's gaze, and realized she had yelled to a teenage girl who was passing by Terri's office. Britt walked in, and eyed the two FBI agents suspisciously."What?" She asked Terri. Scully definitely noticed the attitude laced in the girl's voice. She wondered if they would have any trouble with Kayla.

"Check the attitude!" Terri growled. "Is Kayla in her room?" Britt shrugged with a roll of her eyes.

"Probably, isn't that where she _always_ is?" She asked.

"Go get her for me." Terri replied. Britt took a breath in.

"_Terri!_ Do I _have_ to? I'm on my way to meet Tay and Carrie! Freida told us we could walk over to the mall!" She whined. Terri shot her one look, and Britt turned in a great huff, and stomped down the hallway, cursing under her breath. Scully took a look at Terri, who seemed oblivious to what had just happened. Terri looked up with a snort.

"Please, I'm immune to this teenage attitude thing. I get it about ninety times a day." She paused. "Not with Kayla, though. She's a weird one. She's so quiet, I swear it's like she doesn't even exist half the time."

Mulder and Scully waited patiently, as Terri busied herself with some form of paperwork. Scully couldn't believe her heart was pounding. Why was she so nervous? What was she afraid of? Was she afraid this kid wouldn't like her? _It's not your responsibility to have her like you, it's your job to keep her safe, nothing else._ Scully sighed, what would Melissa do in this situation? She wondered if Melissa ever knew Kayla was placed under the care of social services her whole life. Would things have changed if Melissa knew the truth? Would Scully have been an aunt all this time?

Scully tried to concentrate on forgetting her emotions. This was an FBI case until she could figure out more details.

"Kayla, there you are." Terri said suddenly.

Scully turned around and took in the girl standing in the doorframe.

She couldn't have been more than 5'2", long, matty brown hair with bangs that fell over her face, hiding her eyes. She was a small girl, thin and bony, but that wasn't what caught Scully's attention.

Scully tried to catch her breath, because looking at this girl was like looking at a younger version of her own sister. Kayla looked a lot like Melissa in the photograph she had, but this was different. Scully had half expected there to be less resemblance in real life, but it was the exact opposite.

If Scully didn't know any better, she would think she were looking at Melissa's ghost,

only younger.


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

"Geez, Kay, come on in already, don't be shy!" Terri said staring at the girl who was hanging out in the doorway, patting an empty space on Terri's desk. Scully forced herself not to stare at the girl, as she hesitantly crossed the room. Mulder could tell by the look on Scully's face that the resemblance was uncanny.

Kayla hoisted herself up on Terri's desk, and crossed her legs, staring at Terri, shooting a nervous glance at the FBI agents every now and again. Scully tried to smile at her reassuringly. Kayla looked away, feeling nervous. She wondered who these people were. Her first thought was that they were foster parents, but she shook that thought away quickly. _Nobody wants me._ She convinced herself, looking at their trenchcoats and serious faces. _They look like cops._ Kayla swallowed as Terri cleared her throat.

"How were your classes today, Kay?" She asked, starting with small talk. Kayla stared at her incredulously. _Classes? Seriously?_ Kayla shrugged, keeping her mouth shut. Terri looked over to Scully and Mulder with a small grin.

"She's shy." She said, trying to excuse Kayla. Kayla felt like rolling her eyes.

"Don't be rude, Kay, these people are here to see _you._" Terri said, staring at Kayla again. Kayla felt her stomach leap into her throat. "They have something they need to talk to you about."

Kayla stared at the FBI agents, curious and swallowing hard. Mulder cleared his throat and leaned forward.

"Hey Kayla, let me introduce ourselves. I'm agent Fox Mulder, and this is agent Dana Scully." He paused. "We're with the FBI."

Kayla's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped slightly. Mulder let out a small laugh.

"Don't worry, Kayla, you're not under arrest or anything." He assured. Kayla still looked frightened. She knew she wasn't under arrest, but what did they want? Scully noticed Kayla's irritability, and immediately started.

"Kayla, have you noticed anything strange happening lately? Strange people approaching you, people you didn't know?" Scully asked. Kayla puckered her brow, shooting a quick glance at Terri, who motioned her to pay attention. Kayla swallowed.

"No." She said, her voice breaking slightly. Why would FBI agents be here? Why would they be asking her about strange people approaching her? What was going on?

Scully breathed out, looking to Mulder for support, who gave her a simple nod to encourage her on. Scully looked at Kayla.

"Sweetie, the last thing I want to do here is scare you, but it's important you know what's going on." Scully paused. "We have reason to believe there might be people after you."

Kayla's eyes widened, and she let out a small gasp. Scully simply continued.

"There have been phone calls, and...I was contacted by somebody who genuinely believes you are in danger, Kayla." She explained as thoroughly as she could. Kayla stared at her for a moment, as though in disbelief, until she finally shook her head, seemingly perplexed.

"But...why would they contact somebody from the FBI? Aren't you from Washington? Why wouldn't they just contact the Deerfield police?" Kayla asked. Scully smiled to herself. The girl was smart. _Just like Melissa..._ Scully sighed. _They contacted me because they know I'm your aunt, but I can't tell you that, yet._

"I don't know." Scully lied. "But it's my job to make sure you're safe. My partner, Mulder and I will be investigating this thoroughly, but while we do, it's really important that you're removed from the State Home. We'll be getting a hotel here in the city while we're running the investigation, and you'll stay there with us. The times when Mulder and I can't be there, there will be a police bodyguard with you at all times. We want nothing more than to keep you safe."

Kayla was seemingly freaking out. Her whole demeaner had changed. She wasn't sitting cross-legged anymore, she was hugging her knees tightly. Her face was as white as a sheet as she stared at Scully nervously. She turned to consult Terri, who offered a smile.

"Hey, everything's gonna be alright, kid. You've got the FBI on your side, so I wouldn't worry. Besides, this isn't permanent or anything. It's just until they can make sure you're going to be safe. You want to be safe, don't you?" She asked. Kayla shook her head, unbelievingly.

"Who...who would want to come after me?" She asked meekly. Terri shrugged.

"Don't know, Kay." She answered honestly. "Why don't you go pack your stuff, and don't worry about a thing. Agents Mulder and Scully will take care of you." Kayla obeyed, jumping down from the desk. Scully noticed frightened tears in the girls' eyes as she walked past the two FBI agents briskly, obviously trying to hide the evidence. Scully breathed out.

Terri smiled to herself as soon as Kayla was gone.

"I can see it, you know?" Terri commented.

"See what?" Scully asked, feeling tired all of a sudden.

"The resemblance. I know it was your sister who donated her eggs to make Kayla, but geez, I can see her in you." Terri noticed. Scully quickly ignored the comment. This was still fresh, still strange, and the last thing she wanted to hear was what Terri was saying. There were more important things to figure out right now.

"Anyway, I guess I should give you our phone number, so you can keep us updated on what's going on." Terri started scrawling out a number on a piece of paper. "Call if you have any breakthroughs, or if Kayla has any of her episodes."

Terri wheeled her chair over to a shelf, and pulled off a bottle of pills, handing them straight to Scully.

"She's been starting a new medication, so we're hoping the episodes will stop. It should be fine, but just in case." Terri explained. Scully, educated in medical matters, read the contents of the bottle, and stared at Terri in surprise.

"That's sort of a high dose for a girl her age." She commented. Terri shrugged.

"Nothing else works, what choice did we really have?" Terri stood up. "I'm gonna go check on Kayla, make sure she's doing what she's supposed to be doing. Wait here." With that, Terri took off.

Scully sighed to herself, as she put the bottle of pills in her bag. She rubbed her temples furiously.

"You okay?" Mulder asked. Scully sighed.

"This _is_ a dream, isn't it?" She asked. Mulder smiled.

"You're doing a good thing, you know?" He pointed out. Scully turned and stared at him.

"What if I'm not? What if this whole thing is a hoax?" She asked. Mulder shrugged to himself.

"Well, look at the bright side." He paused. "Even if it is a hoax, and she's really not in danger, you get some time to hang out with your niece."


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

Kayla felt sick to her stomach as she pulled out the small suitcase that was collecting dust under her bed. She sighed to herself, as she briefly remembered the last time she had used it; to move here.

She pulled out her pajamas, and started throwing in clothing, a book, her hairbrush, all the necessary things. As she unconsciously threw things into her suitcase, she couldn't stop thinking about what was happening to her. The FBI agents had said something about her being in danger. Who was after her, and what did they want? She used to hear stories about people who would come after the orphaned children of rich tycoons, hoping there would be good ransom involved, but that didn't make sense to Kayla. Whoever her parents had been, hadn't been rich, that much she knew. The woman had given her up for adoption because she didn't have the money to raise her. Nobody could be after her for that.

As she felt tears stinging her eyes, fear overwhelming her as she imagined the worst, she heard the familiar sounds of laughter coming from down the hall.

Her roommates.

Kayla sped up, packing faster, glad to be leaving if only to be leaving the hell she experienced in this place. Still, the girls didn't pass their room, they came right in, snickering slightly the way they always did if Kayla was in the room.

Britt fell onto her bed with an exagerated sigh, as Taylor and Carrie joined her at the foot. They talked silently to themselves, giggling away, while Kayla ignored them, as always. It wasn't until Kayla walked into the bathroom to get her toothbrush that the girls actually realized what Kayla was doing.

"Woah, freak, what are you doing?" Britt asked in a venomous voice. Kayla didn't look up, as she added to her suitcase.

"Packing." She replied simply.

"For what? If you've been placed, I'll buy everybody lunch!" Taylor laughed, as the other two joined in. Kayla shook her head, ignoring the comment.

"I just...I just have to go away for a while." She said, not giving anymore information than that. She was sure once she was gone, there would be all sorts of rumours going around, and maybe Terri would set them straight, but she doubted it. She couldn't see Terri telling the girls in the State Home that somebody was after Kayla, that would only cause a panic.

Kayla sighed. _Not like they'd be worried about me, but they'd be scared of it happening to them._

Carrie scoffed.

"Guys, who cares _where_ she's going? Don't you realize we'll have the room to ourselves?" She asked. The girls squealed with delight.

"This room will be freak-free! Finally!" Britt exclaimed. Kayla ignored them as she placed the last of her things on top of her pile, and closed the suitcase.

Kayla left the giggles of her roommates behind her as she left the room, closing the door behind her. Her heart was racing. Not only was she afraid of all the unknowns: who was after her, why were they after her, what did they want, but she was also afraid of having to spend time with strangers, FBI agents, no less. She would be protected round the clock by police officers. What kind of company would that be? She sighed. _At least they won't make fun of me._ She thought sadly. She couldn't believe how unbelievably lonely that sounded.

She turned the corner, swallowing her tears and entered Terri's office again, where the agents were now standing, still talking amongst themselves. It was the man, Mulder, who noticed her presence in the room. He stepped forward with a gentle smile on his face.

"You're ready. Wow that was fast." He pointed out, taking Kayla's suitcase from her. Kayla offered a nod, and stared at the floor. Terri shuffled across the floor toward Kayla, and placed her hands firmly on the girls' shoulders. Kayla looked away, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.

"Take care of yourself, kiddo. Look, don't worry about a thing, okay? You're in good hands, I mean, come on, FBI agents! This'll all get figured out." Terri raised an eyebrow. "_But_ you have to make sure you do as you're told, okay? That means you have to be good, and whatever you do, make sure you take your medication!" Kayla rolled her eyes as she let out a long sigh.

"Hey, I mean it! You want to get better, don't you?" Terri asked. Kayla only stared at her, never giving her an answer.

"Well, I guess you have to get going. Be _good_, Kayla. Not like I worry about that with you. Call me if you need to, and take care of yourself." Terri explained, patting Kayla's shoulder gently. Kayla only nodded, trying to be brave. She wasn't sad to be leaving, Terri wasn't exactly the most nurturing human being, but she was terrified. Did the people who were after her _know_ she was leaving the State Home? Did they know she was under the supervision of FBI agents? She couldn't help but wonder how dangerous these people were. If FBI agents were coming to Deerfield to take her away so she could be safe, something must be seriously wrong.

Mulder and Scully headed out the door of the office, thanking Terri quietly. Kayla had no other option but to follow the FBI agents.

Scully had no idea what she was doing. She tried to remember all the times she had had to deal with teenage girls, but each time, it had been for a case where she had been forced to detach herself emotionally. This time it was different. Kayla was Melissa's daughter, her _birth_ daughter. Scully felt so awkward. How was she supposed to talk to this girl, without rousing suspiscion?

Mulder seemed to pick up on Scully's silence, and he took over beautifully.

"Small suitcase, Kayla, I really expected more from a lady." He joked. Kayla managed a small smile, as she looked away with pink cheeks. Scully had to grin to herself. Mulder had always been so good with the kids, in every case, he could always bring a smile to their faces, even in the most frightening situations.

A cab was already waiting for the three of them, as Mulder had called one ahead of time, while Kayla was still packing. Mulder opened the door for Kayla, who thanked him, as she settled herself inside, pulling her seatbelt on. As Mulder shut the door, he moved around to place the suitcases in the trunk. Scully gave him a smile.

"Thanks." She said quietly. He looked at her.

"For what?" He asked. Scully shrugged.

"For being here." She paused. "I wouldn't know how to do this on my own. When have I ever had to take care of a teenager?" Mulder smiled.

"You'll figure it out." He said quietly. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

Kayla sat in the lobby of the hotel with Mulder, while Scully checked them in. Mulder asked her a lot of questions, but none of them were about these strange person or people who were after her. He asked her about school, and what she liked to do for fun, and casual things like that. Kayla began to feel a little more relaxed. She even felt like she could ask _him_ questions.

"You said your first name is...Fox?" She asked cautiously. Mulder laughed.

"I know. Weird, right?" He asked. Kayla only shrugged.

"Not weird." She said quietly. "Just different." Mulder rolled his eyes.

"That's the good thing about being an FBI agent." He laughed. "You get to go by your last name." Kayla seemed to think about something for a moment.

"Like...Agent Reynolds?" She said quietly. Mulder nodded wholeheartedly.

"There you go." He smiled. "That sounds very professional." Kayla felt her cheeks growing pink as she turned away from the agent. She sighed to herself. For a moment, this almost felt normal. It almost didn't feel as though she were taken away from the State Home because she was in danger. It felt like she was _actually_ having a normal conversation with someone other than Terri or Dr. Mitchell.

Scully walked over then and held up two sets of keys, tossing one set to Mulder.

"We've got adjoining rooms." She pointed out. "One's a single, and one's a double. Mulder, you'll be on your own. Kayla will stay with me while we're here." Kayla swallowed. She wouldn't even get her own _room_? How awkward was it going to be staying in the same room as an FBI agent who had barely said two words to her, other than asking her questions about potential dangers surrounding her? She sighed to herself.

* * *

Kayla dropped her suitcase on the floor in the hotel room as Scully immediately walked over to the window, shutting the blinds. Kayla understood what she was doing - she had read enough mystery novels to understand Scully was protecting Kayla by hiding her. Kayla sighed, feeling uncomfortable. Scully wasn't like Mulder; at least Mulder _talked_ to her. Scully seemed almost nervous around her, but Kayla couldn't understand why. Maybe she wasn't used to working with people Kayla's age, she didn't know.

It wasn't long before there was a knock on the door, and when Kayla went to answer it, Scully ran ahead, and put her arm out protectively, signaling to Kayla that she wasn't supposed to answer the door. Scully waited for a moment, as she leaned up against the door.

"Who is it?" She called.

"It's me, Scully, open up." Mulder called from the other side. Scully let him in and Kayla immediately felt upset. She couldn't even answer the door. Who on earth was after her?

"I just thought I'd let you know I'm on my way to contact the state police to explain the situation. I'll arrange around-the-clock police surveillance and guards for this room. I'm hoping they'll be starting tomorrow morning." Mulder explained. Kayla felt her stomach drop, and her heart began to race. This was happening, this was _actually_ happening; someone out there was threatening her, and all of this attention was on her. She breathed out as Mulder went to use the room's phone.

Scully noticed, turning around to face her.

Once again, she was struck with the resemblance between the girl and Melissa. Scully tried to forget about it. Kayla was visibly shaken by what was going on, and Scully tried to think fast.

"Uh," Scully started, trying to think of something she could say to distract Kayla, something to get a conversation started that had nothing to do with what was going on. Scully as lost, though. Emotions were clouding her capacity to think. She had never been awkward in social situations, she was an FBI agent after all, but this was different, _so_ different. This girl was her neice, Melissa's biological _daughter._ Nothing about this situation was like anything she had ever faced before. How was she supposed to pretend like this was a normal situation?

Scully looked at Kayla carefully. She couldn't talk about family: Kayla was an orphan, and lived in state homes her entire life. That wasn't exactly the conversation starter of the year. She couldn't talk about friends: Terri had been clear Kayla wasn't well liked at the State Home.

Scully felt discouraged, as Kayla walked back toward her suitcase, kneeling down on the floor to open it up. Scully mentally slapped herself: this girl was obviously frightened, and Scully couldn't find anything to say. She sighed.

But then she found her chance, when Kayla pulled out a paperback novel from the top of her suitcase. Scully smiled, as she took a step forward.

"You like to read?" She inquired. She had to smile, when Kayla looked up at Scully, and her face seemed to brighten. She nodded with a shy smile. Scully nodded too, and knelt down next to Kayla.

"I love reading." Kayla said, surprised Scully was talking to her. "It's...it's my favourite thing to do, actually."

"What's your favourite book?" Scully asked, finding it easier to engage in a conversation when there was something to talk about.

Kayla seemed to drift away, as though scanning an invisible bookshelf, trying to pick one book that was her favourite. Scully smiled to herself, as she remembered Melissa doing the same thing. She had liked to read as well.

Kayla smiled as she shook her head.

"I can't pick just one." She admitted. She looked up at Scully with a shrug. "There's too many good ones." Scully nodded, feeling tears in her eyes. This was so much like talking to Melissa, it hurt.

"Uh, what are you reading right now?" She asked, nodding toward the small book Kayla was holding. Kayla picked up on the fact that Scully seemed upset about something. Had she said something wrong? She wasn't sure, but she handed Scully her book.

Scully flipped it over to read the title.

"Pride and Prejudice." Scully shook her head. "I've never read it." Kayla nodded, taking the book back from Scully.

"It's really good. We had to read it for English class a couple of years ago, but now, well, I guess now, I just read it because I like it. I don't have many of my own books, so I have to keep reading the same ones over and over again." She smiled. "I think I've almost got this one memorized."

"Wow." Scully managed, not being able to take her eyes away from Kayla. Melissa's daughter. Scully swallowed.

"Okay," Mulder said suddenly. Scully snapped out of it, and rose to her feet, focusing her attention on Mulder, as he hung up the phone. "There's gonna be police guards round the clock around the hotel. There's always gonna be one guard outside of this room, and one inside with Kayla when we're not here." He explained. Scully nodded, but Kayla jumped up immediately.

"What do you mean, when you're not here?" She sighed, when they both looked at her silently. "You're gonna make me stay here, aren't you?" Mulder sighed, but nodded.

"Yeah, Kayla, until we can find out who's after you, and why, our only priority is keeping you safe." He breathed out. "I know it's gonna suck, staying in a hotel room with police officers, but it's for your own safety, okay?"

Kayla stared at him, but finally nodded.

"I guess." She murmured.

"Cool." Mulder gave a nod to Scully, and left the room as Kayla lowered herself to sit on her bed. Scully sighed, trying to understand the fear and frustration this young girl must be feeling. Scully quietly approached Kayla, and sat beside her on the bed.

"Can I ask you some questions, Kayla?" Scully asked. Kayla breathed out, but nodded. Scully knew it was the last thing Kayla wanted to talk about, but Scully needed answers, and maybe somehow, it would help Kayla feel better if Scully approached the issue calmly. She didn't want Kayla panicking over something that wasn't absolute. At least, not yet.

"Kayla, we're trying to figure out why anybody would want to come after you. We don't have a lot of answers right now, so if you know of any reasons why _anybody_, anybody you can think of, would want to come after you, it would be helpful for us to gain some leads. Can you think of any strangers who have approached you lately, tried to talk to you? Do you know anybody who's angry, or been in contact with you lately?" Scully asked slowly, doing her best to pace her voice as quietly and calmly as possible.

Kayla simply shook her head in frustration.

"No." She said, her voice shaking ever so slightly. "I mean, I never leave the State Home, except to go to classes, and they're right in the building. I don't know anybody except for the people inside the place." Scully nodded, trying to process. It didn't make sense to her. Kayla was a quiet girl who kept to herself and never left the Group Home. Who in the world would go after her?

"These people...who are after me..." Kayla swallowed. "Do they want to...kill me?" Scully sighed, but shook her head.

"It doesn't look that way, Kayla. It looks like whoever is after you wants you for something, but we want to figure out why." She explained. Kayla breathed out.

"It doesn't make any sense. Why would anybody want _me?_ I don't have any money, I'm nothing special! I'm just a stupid kid who has nothing to offer _anybody!_" Kayla paused. "Do you...do you think it has something to do with them?"

Scully puckered her brow.

"Who?" She inquired.

"Them. My parents. The ones who gave me up, whoever they are." Kayla explained.

Scully looked at the girl, and realized this girl had no idea where she came from. She didn't know anything about her parents, she didn't know anything about the donated eggs, and the fact that she was carried to term by one woman, but mothered by another. She didn't know who her surrogate mother was, and she certainly didn't know anything about Melissa.

Scully swallowed, as she tried to offer Kayla a reassuring smile. Without realizing it, Kayla had given Scully their first lead. It was all in the file, the file that had been left with her by some stranger. It only made sense to go there first. Her name was right in the file.

Her name was Janette Reynolds, and she was the woman who received Melissa's eggs.

She was the one who carried and gave birth to Kayla.

And she just happened to live a town over from Deerfield.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

Scully sat at the desk in the hotel room she shared with Kayla that evening, reading and re-reading the file she had received in the mail only a day earlier. No matter how many times she perusing the genetic data that proved the relationship, she still couldn't wrap her mind around it. Even if she did find a defect in the genetic code in front of her, she couldn't discount the amazing resemblance between Kayla and Melissa. Scully tried not to watch Kayla too much as she was getting ready for bed that evening, but her movements, her facial expressions, everything was a painful reminder of Melissa.

Now Kayla was in the shower, and Scully took the opportunity to go over the file again, hoping for a break in this strange case. She told Mulder she would meet him in his room once Kayla had gone to bed, so they could make their plan for the next day, and figure out where to start.

Scully sighed, pulling her glasses off, rubbing her eyes vigorously. This had all happened so fast, she didn't know what to make of it all.

The bathroom door opened, and Kayla walked out, hair wet, and pajamas on. Scully closed the file and placed it in her briefcase before Kayla noticed, but Kayla was oblivious to what Scully was doing.

Kayla wandered over to the window, and hesitantly peeked out the curtains. Scully felt for the girl. She hadn't stopped peering out the window since they had arrived at the hotel. Scully cleared her throat.

"Kayla, you're safe. You're with us, nothing's going to happen to you." She said, trying once again to reassure the frightened girl. "There's a policeman right outside this door and one outside the hotel. There's no way anybody can get to you." Kayla turned away from the window, her cheeks turning pink. She turned toward her bed.

"Sorry." She said meekly. "Just paranoid." Scully had to smile, but she was at a loss for words. Why was it so hard to find things to say to this girl? She just felt so incredibly awkward around her. She wasn't sure if it was because she was responsible for taking care of her for the next little while, or if it was because she knew she was related to this girl, and that thought scared her to death. Scully sighed, frustrated that she couldn't figure anything out.

"Is it alright if I read for a little bit before I go to bed?" Kayla suddenly asked, as she crawled into her bed. Scully turned around, surprised she was being asked permission to read before bedtime. Scully was taken aback. Was she supposed to enforce rules too? She stood up.

"Uh, sure. That's fine with me." Scully suddenly remembered. "Oh, but maybe you should take your medicine first. That way, it's done and you can just fall asleep when you're ready." She turned to reach for her purse, where she had placed Kayla's bottle of pills earlier. She heard the small sigh coming from the girl from behind her. Scully turned back to Kayla, with the pills in her hand.

"What's the matter?" Scully asked, handing Kayla the bottle of pills, and pulling out a bottle of water from the mini-fridge next to her bed. Kayla shrugged, as she hesitantly took one of the pills, not even using the water.

"Nothing, I just think it's stupid." She said quietly, handing the pill bottle back to Scully, as she reached over for _Pride and Prejudice_, which was already on her bed. Scully was curious.

"What's stupid?" She wanted to know.

"Taking pills. Doctors have been giving them to me since I was young." Kayla sighed, finding her page in her book. "I'm not even sick." She never looked up, but Scully was becoming more and more interested in hearing Kayla's perspective on her condition.

"Terri tells me you have a form of epilepsy?" Scully questioned. She was interested in learning more about Kayla's condition - her training through medical school sparked her curiosity, and there was something about the way Terri had phrased Kayla's disorder that made Scully wonder. _"Like I said, I don't understand it. The doctors say it's a form of epilepsy or something."_

Or something.

Kayla shook her head, looking up at Scully for the first time.

"I don't believe that's true." She said quietly, expecting Scully to tell her, as everyone else had, that Kayla was thinking too much about things, and to leave things to the doctor.

But Scully was eager to understand.

"What don't you believe is true?" Scully asked.

"I don't believe I have epilepsy." Kayla got quiet all of a sudden. "I think...I think it's something else, but I'm not sure what."

"What makes you think it's not epilepsy?" Scully asked, taking a seat on the bed next to Kayla. Kayla breathed out.

"Well, I'm not a doctor, but I've tried to do research with medical journals and stuff. I think I figured out that if I were really epileptic, the medication would at least slow down the 'episodes', as the doctors call them. But the medication does _nothing_ to stop it or slow it down. I still have them!" Kayla exclaimed. Scully went into medical mode.

"Not necessarily. You know, it can take some time for the proper medication to be established, not to mention-"

"And I have absolutely no memory of what's happening to me when these 'episodes' are happening!" Kayla said in frustration. Scully puckered her brow. That _was_ odd. Kayla continued.

"I-I lose time from my life, it's just _gone!_ Terri's seen me during an episode, some doctors have too. I never remember anything, but they tell me that I'm never shaking or convulsing or anything. They say I just sit there. That doesn't sound like epilepsy to me! But everyone I tell that to tells me to leave it alone! Nobody believes me!" Her body was shaking now, she was getting upset, Scully could tell. Scully tried to remain calm for the girl.

But she mulled over what Kayla was saying. If what Kayla was saying was true, then she had a good cause for not believing any of her doctors. What Kayla was describing sounded nothing like epilepsy. But it wasn't like anything she had ever heard of before. No wonder the doctors placed a diagnosis on her. They were at a loss.

She looked at Kayla, who stared at Scully with desperate eyes, looking for someone to affirm her, to put faith in her, someone to believe she wasn't crazy. Scully offered a small smile, showing she understood.

"Kayla, I believe you." Scully gave a small nod of her head. "And I'm sure one day, everything will be figured out." Kayla sighed, turning her attention to her book.

"I hope so." She said under her breath.

Scully stood up and grabbed her briefcase, that held the file she didn't want Kayla to know about. She turned and looked at Kayla again, who was already focused into her book. Scully cleared her throat.

"I'm just going to go over to Mulder's room for a bit, okay Kayla? If you need anything at all, just come on over." She said. Kayla only nodded, and Scully wondered if she was that captivated by her book, or if she was thinking about their conversation. Scully decided not to press. She didn't know how to even if she wanted to. What did she know about helping a teenager?

Scully left the room, told the policeman guarding the room she would be next door if he needed anything, and knocked on Mulder's door.

"Come in." He called from the inside. Scully let herself in and closed the door behind her. She found Mulder casually laying on his bed, watching what appeared to be a reality television show. Scully breathed out.

"What are you watching?" She asked, feeling annoyed. Mulder raised an eyebrow as he turned the tv off.

"What, I was getting bored? I didn't think you'd ever show up." He said sarcastically, as he jumped up into a sitting position. Scully just stared at him, as his lips curved into a smirk.

"Were you girls bonding?" He asked with a grin. Scully raised an eyebrow.

"It's not funny, Mulder, that poor girl is terrified for her life! I'm surprised she didn't get upset when I said I was coming over here for a bit." She said, as she took a seat on the spare bed.

"Well, hopefully we can figure some things out and get a lead on this case so we can nail whoever it is that's after her." Mulder said seriously, as Scully pulled out the folder she had received anomynously.

"I realized today a good place to start would be with the surrogate mother, the one who received the egg donations from that laboratory." She explained, opening the file to that spot. "It says she doesn't live too far from here." Mulder raised a hand up.

"Woah, do you think that's a good idea?" He asked. Scully puckered her brow.

"Why not?" She asked.

"Think about it, Scully. How much do _we_ know about Kayla? The custody situation, how she was given away, details surrounding her birth and legal issues. Don't you think it would be better if we had an understanding of all of that before we barge in on this woman demanding information about someone she might not know much about?" Mulder pointed out.

Scully pondered and realized he was right. If she had been thinking clearer, she would have seen that herself. It was a good thing she had decided to bring Mulder along for this case. Her emotions were clearly clouding her judgment.

"You're right." She said quietly, hating to admit it. "What do you suggest?"

Mulder took the file from Scully and peered over it for a few moments before he said anything.

"I think the county's Social Services Department would be a good place to start. It's about an hour from here. I checked it out already. They're probably the ones who handled Kayla's case. Maybe we can learn more about Kayla's birth, and the first few years of her life, and learn more about Kayla's surrogate mother too. Maybe there will be some kind of information about what makes her so 'special?' What makes her such a target for these people who want her?" Mulder put his fingers up to his mouth, a common habit of his when he began to think. "Do you think it's money?" Scully shook her head, as she pit on the end of her pen.

"I don't know. I guess it could be, but it just doesn't make sense to me. Kayla doesn't know anything about having any money left in her name, and I know that doesn't necessarily mean she doesn't have any, but it just doesn't fit together. Why would whoever sent me this file say Kayla was in danger if it was just a matter of wanting money?" She asked. Mulder saw her point and sighed, leaning back against his headboard.

"Well, if it's not about money, what could it be?" He paused. "I hate to say it, but kids like Kayla are hardly a decent target for ransom kidnapping." Scully nodded in agreement.

"I guess we'll find out more tomorrow when we go to Social Services." She said in a tired voice.

"What if it's something else?" Mulder asked suddenly. Scully was beginning to feel exhausted, and wasn't feeling in the mood for Mulder's theories. But she asked anyway.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I mean, what if these people want her for something that isn't external. If it's not for money, why would they be after her?"

"I don't know, Mulder, that's what we're trying to figure out."

"Maybe it's got something to do with something she's done, something she's doing, or something she _can_ do."

"Mulder, do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?" Scully asked, rubbing her eyes. Mulder shrugged.

"Nothing but a theory." He said, spreading his hands out. "I already rented a car for tomorrow morning, so we'll be all set to head out whenever you're ready."

Scully nodded.

"Good." She said, opening up her laptop.

For the next hour, Scully began typing up a preliminary report for this case, while Mulder continued to flip through his television for something to watch. Scully tried to tune out the mindless conversations happening on the tv, while she focused the last bit of energy she had into jotting down some notes and observations.

Mulder broke the mindless silence.

"Have you told her yet?" He asked. Scully turned toward him, about to ask what he was talking about, but then she knew.

"Mulder, if you're asking me if I've told Kayla that I'm her aunt, no, I haven't." She replied. He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, why not? I think you should. I think it would help Kayla understand a little better why you were the one who was contacted, out of every FBI agent that could have been selected." He pointed out. Scully sighed, feeling frustrated.

"Now's not the time, Mulder."

"Why not?"

"We're in the middle of figuring out who's after her and why! Besides, I don`t even know if she really _is_ my neice! This whole thing could turn out to be some hoax, or practical joke. I can't just tell her something that might not even be true!"

"You have the genetic evidence in that file!"

"Look Mulder! I'm still trying to make sense of all of this!" Scully shouted. "Two days ago, I didn't have a neice, and now I'm sleeping in the same room as Melissa's biological daughter! _Daughter!_" Mulder was silent as he listened to Scully. She breathed out slowly and closed her eyes.

"Just let me get my bearings straight first." She said silently. Mulder gave a nod.

Scully told him she would meet him in the morning, and she headed back to her room. The policeman sitting outside the room looked up.

"Anything I should know about?" Scully asked. The policeman shook his head.

"Nope. It's been quiet all night." He replied. Scully nodded and let herself into the room.

She found Kayla fast asleep right where she had left her. Kayla's book lay open on her chest. She must have fallen asleep while she was reading.

Scully wandered over to Kayla, and picked up the book gently. She breathed out, noticing that Kayla was nearly finished her book. _Just like Melissa._ Scully smiled to herself.

She placed the book down on Kayla's nightstand. As she readied herself for bed, she hoped they would be able to find something in the morning that would help them figure out who was after Kayla, and why.

Then she'd have to figure out what to do about being an aunt.

And that seemed scarier than finding the criminals.


	10. Chapter Nine

**

* * *

**

Chapter Nine

Scully found herself waking earlier than she had planned, but after a night of fitful sleeping, and dreams about Melissa, she wasn't surprised at all.

She quietly got out of bed, hoping not to wake Kayla, who was sound asleep, looking peaceful. Scully smiled to herself. She had to admit, Kayla was a good kid.

As Scully showered, she had an idea. As she got dressed, and left the bathroom, she made sure she was silent about leaving the hotel room, but Kayla didn't wake up. She only stirred slightly. _She must be a deep sleeper._ She thought to herself and wasn't surprised at all to remember Melissa had been the same way.

Glad to see a policeman already sitting outside of the hotel room, Scully headed down to the hotel gift shop, and browsed through their selection of books. Kayla had said she loved to read, and didn't like the idea of leaving Kayla alone all day with nothing to do, but she was at a loss as to what books Kayla would enjoy.

Reading the backs of nearly every book on the shelf, Scully finally settled on three books that seemed to be interesting. Her decision had been made by trying to imagine what Melissa would like to read. She chose _Little Women, Lord of the Flies_ and _Great Expectations_. They were all classics, and judging by Kayla's enjoyment of _Pride and Prejudice_, she thought Kayla might enjoy some more.

She paid the clerk, and headed back up to their hotel room, finding Kayla no longer in bed. She heard the water going in the bathroom, and assumed Kayla was showering. Scully placed the books down on Kayla's made bed, and began to gather her things. She would be meeting Mulder in the lobby shortly, and wanted to make sure she had everything she needed for the day's investigation. _Notepad, ID..._ Kayla suddenly walked out of the bathroom, nearly jumping out of her skin when she saw Scully there. Scully had to laugh.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She said honestly. Kayla breathed out with a shrug, and a small smile.

"I didn't know you were here." She confessed, headed back to her bed to grab her hairbrush. That was when she noticed the pile of books, and looked at them wide-eyed and smiling.

"What are these?" She asked, almost as though she didn't believe what she was seeing. Scully couldn't believe how shocked Kayla was. They were only books, it wasn't even as though they cost a lot of money. Maybe being one of many kids in the State Home, they weren't used to receiving many gifts.

"I noticed last night you were almost finished with _Pride and Prejudice._" Scully sat down across from Kayla, who's curious eyes looked through the three books again and again. "Mulder and I have to go out today, getting information and investigating some things." Kayla finally looked up, and seemed to perk up slightly.

"Can...can I come with you?" She asked. Scully smiled, and shook her head. She didn't want to crush the girl, but it was far too dangerous to bring her anywhere that might lead them to the truth. Kayla's face dropped.

"Sorry, Kayla, but I think it would be better if you stayed here. There will be a police officer right outside your door, and another one will be here soon to spend the day in here with you." Scully explained. Kayla sighed.

"But...it's my life you're investigating. Shouldn't...shouldn't I be allowed to, you know, find out what you find out?" She asked. Scully was surprised at Kayla's politeness. Even in the girl's disappointment, she was still polite about the whole thing. Scully still shook her head.

"This is a police matter, Kayla. And we've decided we want you to stay. You'll be safer here." She said sympathetically. "I picked up those books to keep you busy."

Kayla looked back at the books and smiled slightly. She clearly wasn't thrilled about the idea of being left behind, but she still looked up at Scully with that meek smile.

"Thank you." She said quietly. Scully smiled back and stood up.

"Don't worry, Kayla." She grabbed her purse. "We'll fill you in on anything we find out today."

Kayla didn't say anything. A knock on the door interrupted the conversation.

Scully answered it to find a police woman on the other side. She would be Kayla's guard for the day. Scully had requested a female, thinking it might make Kayla a little more comfortable. But Kayla looked anything but comfortable. She looked so nervous.

"It's okay, Kayla, we won't be gone for very long. Just, you know, be good, and have a good day." Scully tried to reassure. The officer, who was a younger woman, approached Kayla with a smile.

"I'm not here to make you scared. I'm here to protect you, and we're all doing everything we can to keep you safe, okay?" She asked calmly. Kayla hesitated, before she nodded with a nervous smile. Scully breathed out, and felt like it was a good time to head out.

She said bye to Kayla one more time before she headed down to the lobby to find Mulder, who was waiting for her. He raised an eyebrow.

"What took you so long?" He asked. Scully gave him a look that suggested he better not give her a hard time about anything.

* * *

Soon, they were driving on the highway that would take them to Mount Prospect, Illinois, the town where they would find the social services office. The drive was silent for the most part - Scully was too deep in thought and was thankful Mulder was the one driving. She couldn't wrap her mind around all of this. They were going to the social services office, where she would find out more about this girl who was supposedly her neice.

_Stop saying supposedly! You have the DNA proof!_

Still, she wasn't ready to accept it.

What Scully couldn't wrap her mind around was why Melissa would donate her own eggs to a laboratory anyway. Why she would do it without telling anybody. Scully sighed to herself, not being able to find an answer she could accept. There was no way Melissa would have done it for the money - she had always been well off. The only reasonable explanation she could find was that Melissa just wanted to do something good for someone less fortunate, and, being the humble woman Melissa was, didn't tell anyone.

"Scully, we're here." Mulder said suddenly. Scully snapped out of it and looked up at the building Mulder was finding a parking spot in. It was the social services office. Scully sighed.

"Okay, let's go." She said quietly, pulling out her FBI identification badge. Mulder did the same, and they entered the building.

An older woman was seated at the receptionist desk, and she eyed them waringly. Scully couldn't say she blamed the woman. They probably had the strangest people walking into this office, demanding information about the children they gave up years ago. Scully immediately pulled out her badge.

"I'm agent Scully, and this is agent Mulder." She announced. "We need to talk to somebody who would know about babies who were given up in 1981."

The receptionist inspected her badge for a few seconds, before she finally picked up the phone.

* * *

"FBI, huh? It's not very often we get you guys in here. Kind of a small county, this one. These are usually kids who get forgotten pretty quickly. But hey, glad to be of any assistance I can be. I've been here for 25 years, so I might even remember the case you need information on." An older man by the name of Edward Burns said, once he had Mulder and Scully seated at his desk at the back of the building. He was obviously a man who was dedicated to his work. On the lefthand side of his desk was a bulleton board collaged with hundreds of kids' pictures, presumebly kids he was assigned cases to. Scully wondered if Kayla's picture was among them photographs.

"Kayla Reynolds." Scully said. "She was born in '81, and given away the same year. Do you have her information here?" Burns went straight to work on his computer, searching through his archives. Scully and Mulder waited while he searched. After only a few short moments, he lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh yes, I remember this case." He said silently.

"What can you tell us about it?" Mulder asked. Burns shrugged casually.

"Single mother, but she wasn't the baby's biological mother. See, that's why I remember this case. It's not very often you get surrogate mothers giving their babies up. Usually when you get eggs implanted, you want to keep the baby." He explained, looking back at the computer screen again. "Anyway, mother gave her up. Kayla started out in one group home from infancy until she was five, then was transferred to another home until she was thirteen, and then moved to where she is currently residing, in Deerfield. Oh, and when she was eight years old, she was staying with a foster family for a period of one week." Scully puckered her brow. Nothing was making sense in what Edward was saying. Nothing was standing out that would make Kayla a target.

"Mr. Burns, is there anything in that file that would suggest any reason that Kayla would be a target for anyone? We have reason to believe there are people after Kayla, but at this point, we don't know why." Scully explained. Burns puckered his brow, seemingly shocked by this bit of information, as he scrolled through the rest of the file. He shook his head.

"I don't see who would possibly be after this girl. The mother had no source of income, so there is no money left to Kayla. She spent her whole life in group homes, with the exception of a week-long foster care. But I'll print off her file for you, if you'd like." Burns suggested.

* * *

Mulder and Scully sat in the car, as Scully perused the rest of the file Burns had printed for them. Mulder waited patiently.

"Anything useful?" He asked after a while. Scully shook her head, feeling frustrated.

"No, this file is very limited. It just provides some information about the surrogate mother, the one who gave Kayla up. Burns pretty much told us everything. Kayla was placed in the care of the state right after she was born. The surrogate mother never even saw the baby." She sighed, leaning back. "There isn't even any information about the biological mother. The one who donated the eggs. Nothing about Melissa!" Her voice was laced with frustration. Mulder took the file from her and glanced at it.

"I guess there wouldn't be anything about Melissa. She donated her eggs to that laboratory mentioned in your file. She had nothing to do with the legal custody of Kayla, so she wouldn't be included." He explained. "I think our best bet right now would be to go check out these group homes Kayla's been in. Maybe the people working there will have some information about why Kayla could be in danger." Scully rubbed her eyes.

"Alright, we'll go to the first one today. It's already noon, and Gray's Group Home is in Chicago. I told Kayla we'd be back by dinner time." She said. Mulder nodded.

"Alright," he said, as he started up the car, "Gray's it is."

* * *

Scully felt her own heart breaking as she stood in front of Gray's Group Home in Chicago, Illinois. The place was dark, without any windows, and the kids playing in the front yard wore dirty clothing and played with nothing but a ripped up old ball. It seemed a forgotten building, with peeling paint and broken eavesdrops. It was hard for Scully to imagine Kayla spending the first five years of her life in this place.

Scully forced away her emotions, trying to remain objective, and knocked on the front door. Mulder gave her a reassuring smile, as he waved to the curious toddler's watching them from the fenced in yard. Scully wondered why they weren't being supervised.

Soon, the door opened to reveal a plump, graying woman, who had the kindest eyes Scully had ever seen. She felt reassured. Maybe the children were at least cared for emotionally.

"Can I help you folks?" The woman asked with a British accent. Mulder pulled out his badge.

"Yes, I'm agent Mulder, and this is agent Scully. We're from the FBI, and wanted to ask you a few questions about a girl who used to live here. Her name is Kayla Reynolds. She would have lived here in 19-"

"Yes, I remember Kayla." The woman smiled as she opened the door. "Please come in. My name is Dorothy Jeeves."

Mulder and Scully followed the woman down a concrete hallway, but it seemed brighter with all the colored pictures plastering the wall made by the children of the Home. Scully could hear small children laughing from somewhere within the building, and she felt comforted by that.

The FBI agents followed Dorothy into a small office which seemed cluttered, because of the size of it. Dorothy brought in a couple of chairs from the hallway, and soon, the three of them were sitting somewhat comfortably in Dorothy's office.

"Ms. Jeeves, we're investigating a situation right now, and we need to know as much about Kayla Reynolds as we can find out. Anything you can tell us would be very helpful." Mulder started. Dorothy nodded.

"Yes, well, I've been headmistress here for thirty years now. I've seen little boys and girls come and go, and only a few stand out. So many faces, you'll understand that it's easy to forget a lot of them. But Kayla, I remember her. She kept to herself, for the most part. She was an easy baby, but once she got into the toddler years, she avoided others like the plague. She spent most of her time in a corner, looking at picture books, and such. Kids tried to play with her, but Kayla just ran away.

"The strangest thing, though. She'd have...fits. We couldn't understand why, it wasn't as though any of the other children were bothering her. At first, we all thought they were just temper tantrums. She would just tune everyone out. We would all try to talk her out of them, but she just stared at the wall, rocked back and forth. We'd try everything, but she just never responded. Some of us thought she just needed attention, and that was her way of asking for it. I knew it was something more than that."

"What do you mean?" Mulder asked, taking an interest.

"Well, it just seemed odd, you know? After Kayla was finished with these...zone-outs, she would begin to cry when she saw everybody standing around her. It was as though she thought she was in trouble. I thought she might be autistic, because she hardly ever spoke, so we had her tested. Academically, she was advanced for her age, so there was no evidence of any learning disabilities. We took her to a pediatrician, and none of them could find anything wrong with her either. They told us whatever it was, she would grow out of it. So we continued to keep an eye on her, but the same thing kept happening right up until she was taken to another home." Dorothy replied. Scully realized Dorothy was talking about the same thing Terri had told her about. Back then, it seemed to manifest itself differently, but it was still the same issue. The doctors couldn't figure it out. Scully couldn't figure it out. Whatever was wrong with Kayla had been a problem her entire life. Scully couldn't imagine what it must be like for Kayla, never knowing what was actually wrong.

"Ms. Jeeves, Kayla was here for five years, right? Did anything happen in that time period that would lead you to believe Kayla would be a target for someone? Did anyone ever express an interest in wanting her for anything?" Mulder asked. Dorothy looked perplexed, but shook her head.

"No. We never heard anything from her mother, well, I mean the surrogate mother. We never heard anything about the biological parents either. I mean, I suppose we wouldn't have. I gather those laboratories have rules about that sort of thing. But there were never any phone calls about Kayla, we never had any foster parents express an interest in Kayla, nothing of that sort at all." She paused, and looked from Mulder to Scully. "Is...something wrong with Kayla? Is she okay?"

Scully reassured the headmistress that Kayla was fine, and they were doing everything in their power to make sure the girl was safe. As Mulder and Scully left the building and began the drive back to Deerfield, Scully sighed to herself. Mulder looked over.

"What are you thinking?" He asked her. Scully shook her head.

"I was just thinking about how hard it must have been for Kayla. I can't imagine what it must have been like for her. From everyone we've talked to so far, it seems like Kayla was never wanted. Her mother gave her up from birth, Dorothy Jeeves said the foster families were never interested in her, and Burns at the social services office said she was in foster care for a week." She sighed, changing the subject. "It doesn't seem like anything is making any sense. From everyone we've talked to, there's no evidence as to why someone would be after her. Maybe this is just a big hoax. Maybe Kayla's not in any danger at all."

"Well, what about the phone calls the State Home have been getting about Kayla? The ones Terri told us about? Someone wants her, Scully. It all adds up. The file you got in the mail, the post-it note, the phone calls." Mulder looked over at her. "We're going to figure this out. We still have a couple of places to go to tomorrow. Maybe they'll have more answers."

Scully nodded, knowing he was right. Her hunch told her he was right - this wasn't a big hoax, but Scully wasn't sure why she wanted to believe it was. Was it because she didn't want to face the dangers that might be involved? She doubted it. She had been in far more dangerous situations before. Perhaps the real reason was that she was not ready to confront the fact that she was sharing a hotel room with her neice, a girl she was somehow responsible for. All the DNA evidence in the world couldn't make Scully grasp the fact that she was an aunt.

* * *

Mulder carried the two paper bags filled with chinese food as they headed up to the fourth floor of the hotel where they were staying. Mulder got a report from the police officer who was still seated outside, while Scully entered the hotel room. Kayla was sitting on her bed, reading one of the books Scully had picked up, while the police officer who was stationed in the room for the day, was looking through the daily newspaper. Scully thanked the officer, who headed out and said she'd be back again the next day. Kayla put her bookmark in her book as Mulder entered the room, holding up the bags with a smile.

"I hope you like chinese."

The three sat around the hotel room's table, eating chinese food silently for the most part, but Kayla was very curious about their day.

"Nothing big happened today." Mulder explained. "We visited Gray's, but that was all for today. We didn't learn anything new." Kayla puckered her brow. She seemed confused, and then she nodded.

"Gray's," she pondered, "that was where I went first. I was really little there. I don't remember much about it at all. I just remember a very big bedroom with lots of beds and lots of kids." Scully nodded.

"There were lots of kids there." She affirmed. Kayla nodded and poked at an eggroll thoughtfully.

"Did you...go to Bedford's?" She asked. Scully recognized the name, and knew Kayla was referring to the second home she went to. Scully shook her head.

"No, we didn't get a chance to go there today." She replied. "That's first on our list for tomorrow." Kayla sighed, shivering slightly as though remembering something.

"I hated it there so much." She said quietly, with a sigh. "I just wish I knew who was after me, and why? This is all so...weird." Mulder gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Kayla," he shared a glance with Scully, "Everything is gonna work out."


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

The next morning, Scully found herself up before Kayla once again, and headed down to the gift shop to pick up some more books for Kayla. Scully couldn't believe it when Kayla had told her last night that she had read through _Little Women_ and _Great Expectations_, and she was halfway through _Lord of the Flies._ Scully picked out a few new classics, and a mystery novel, and brought them upstairs, leaving them by Kayla's bed.

Right on time, the same police officer who stayed with Kayla the previous day rapped lightly on the door. Scully answered it and gave the woman a smile.

"Thanks for doing this." She said kindly, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. The police officer shrugged.

"Well, she didn't really do anything yesterday. She just sat on her bed and read all day." She smiled. "Kinda got to admit, it's a bit of a boring post." Scully nodded.

"I know, I'm sorry. But until we figure out what's going on, we have to keep her safe." She explained. The officer nodded, and headed inside where Kayla was still asleep. After Scully made sure the police officer stationed outside the room was good to go, she headed down to the lobby where she found Mulder waiting patiently. He was holding a map.

"I mapped out the easiest way to get to Bedford's." He stood up with a sarcastic boy. "Shall we go, m'lady?"

Scully was silent for most of the ride up to Bedford's, which was also in Chicago. She was feeling slightly pessimistic about today, unsure of what they would find out that they didn't already know. It didn't seem like anybody could understand, or have a good reason why anybody would be after Kayla. She seemed just like any other typical orphan. Why were people only after _her?_

The drive up seemed to only last moments, as Scully was lost in her own thoughts, and the two agents headed up the steps to the large, brick building, and rang the doorbell.

An older child answered the door, probably about nine or ten years old, and asked them how she could help them.

"We would like to talk to the person who's in charge." Mulder said in a kid-friendly voice. "Can we do that?"

The girl only nodded, and opened the door wide enough to allow Mulder and Scully to follow her. She led them down a hall, and down another hall, and up a flight of stairs. Finally, she pointed to a large space, which looked like an office. Scully thanked the girl, who promptly ran off.

Scully tapped on the glass door that led into the office, and a straggly woman with red hair opened the door.

"Can I help you?" She asked in a high-pitched voice. Mulder and Scully pulled out their badges.

"I'm agent Scully, and this is agent Mulder. We're investigating a situation that involves a girl who used to live here. Kayla Reynolds?" Scully said. The woman didn't seem to recognize the name, but she brought the agents over to her computer where she looked up the name.

"You're in luck," The woman announced. "The woman who used to be Kayla's social worker is still here. Her name is Jennifer Loll, she's just over there." The woman pointed to a tall, thin, blonde woman who was seated at a desk not far from them.

Mulder and Scully approached the woman, introduced themselves, and sat down.

Jennifer scoffed.

"Oh yeah, I remember her. Freak kid, I gotta tell ya! The little brat was completely antisocial and absolutely defiant. I couldn't stand working with her, she was just impossible! All she'd do was keep to herself, except when she went to her lessons. All the kids hated her, can't say as I really blame them, she was so strange. Especially with all her attention-getting schemes." She said in a bitter tone. Scully inwardly sighed. This woman was clearly not a fan of children, and the way this woman talked about Kayla hurt Scully in a strange way. Scully found herself wanting nothing more than to defend Kayla. No, she had to remain detached. This was a serious investigation.

She cleared her throat.

"What do you mean by attention-getting schemes?" Scully asked. Jennifer rolled her eyes, reminiscing.

"I mean, I've heard of temper tantrums, but she was just something else! She'd go mental-case on us, catatonic, I guess you could call it. She'd sit on the floor, staring at the wall, rocking back and forth, whispering. Back talk, was what it was." She replied. Scully puckered her brow.

"She back-talked you?" She asked. Jennifer shrugged.

"Well it's not like we could actually hear what the kid was saying, but what else would she be doing? Defiant little brat, and then she'd look up after a while and start crying about how she didn't remember what she said. She just wanted to avoid getting punished. Well, we saw past that and she was disciplined for her behaviour. Kayla spent a _lot_ of time in this office, writing me lines." She said, as she played with a rubber band on her desk.

Mulder shared a significant glance at Scully. He was clearly thinking the same thing she was. This woman hated children, and she was obviously speaking about Kayla's seizure-like episodes. These people obviously had no idea they had been dealing with something medical. Scully felt for Kayla. She had been punished for something she had never been able to control. _No wonder she hated it here._

"Ms. Loll, while Kayla was here, or since she's been gone, has Bedford's ever received any threatening phone calls regarding Kayla? Have any strange individuals been interested in Kayla, or asked after her?" Scully asked, changing the subject. Jennifer looked slightly confused, but she shook her head.

"No, not about Kayla. That kid was hated by everyone. The only people who ever took an interest in her was the foster family we were finally able to place her with, and they called a week later, saying they wanted her _gone._ She caused a lot of trouble there too. We had to go over there right away to remove her, because the couple was having a hissy fit. They already had kids, and they were scared to death of Kayla." She said, breathing out. "I hear Kayla's still in the system. If she's still pulling the same crap as she was back then, I'm not surprised."

* * *

Scully realized there was no lead at Bedford's, nothing threatening had happened to Kayla here, apart from the obvious hatred her social worker had toward her. After obtaining the address for the foster family who took Kayla in for a week, Scully and Mulder thanked Jennifer Loll and left the building, feeling rather discouraged. At least, Scully was, but not for the reasons she would have thought. She couldn't help but feel disheartened at the idea of Kayla having had to spend a large chunk of her life in a place where she was ridiculed, hated, looked down upon and punished for something she couldn't control.

Mulder and Scully drove away from Bedford's, out into the outskirts of Chicago, where the foster couple lived. Scully looked at the small post-it note that held their information. Their names were Brent and Anita Whim. They had three children, aged 12, 14 and 18. Scully did the math, and realized that, since Kayla was 8 when she had been placed with these people, the other three children would have been 4, 6 and 10. Scully sighed, turning over to Mulder.

"You don't think it's them, do you?" She asked. Mulder raised an eyebrow.

"Who? What?" He asked.

"Them, the foster parents. Do you think it could be them that's after Kayla?" She asked. Mulder frowned and shook his head after a moment's speculation.

"But that doesn't make any sense. You said the note you found in that file that was left for you said 'they know, and they want her.' What could this foster couple possibly know about Kayla after only having spent a week with her? A week that made them decide they wanted nothing to do with her." Mulder shook his head again. "It just doesn't seem to fit."

Scully had to admit, he was right. Another lead down the drain. She at least hoped the Whim's would be able to tell them something that would point them in the right direction.

* * *

It wasn't long before they found themselves in the Whim's living room, accepting iced tea and cookies. There were no children around; Anita explained the two younger children were obviously at school, and their oldest was working at his part-time job. Scully and Mulder had already introduced themselves as FBI agents, here to talk to them about Kayla, and the agents were surprised at how open the couple was about letting them in to talk about a girl they had only known for a short time, and gave her up on such seemingly harsh conditions.

"I must say, when you mentioned her name, it took me a minute to remember her. You have to understand, we've been fostering kids ever since before our children were born. We've had many children in this house, but when you told us what year it was, it became very clear. You're right, we only had her for a week. It didn't work out. We sent her back." Anita explained, offering the agents another cookie.

"I know how this sounds. You said you talked to Jennifer Loll. She probably made it sound so horrible - she isn't a big fan of kids." Brent sighed. "We're not bad people. I know it sounds bad, keeping a child for a week and then giving her up like that, but you have to understand, there was something...different about her."

"We figured she was developmentally delayed or special needs, or something," Anita continued. "But her social workers never warned us about anything of the sort. We didn't know what to do. Kayla never talked to anybody, and she would drop to the floor unexpectedly and rock, whispering and staring at the wall. Nobody could pull her out of it. She was upsetting our children, scaring the younger girls. All they wanted to do was play with Kayla, but she would just freeze up and mutter to herself."

"We gave it a week, and it wasn't improving. Our children were very upset, we were upset, so yes, we called the home and told them we changed our mind. We weren't prepared for Kayla, and she deserved better than what we could give her." Brent said.

"It wasn't as though we didn't want to offer Kayla a chance. If we didn't have our own children to think about, Kayla would have stayed, but our children had to come first." Anita added, her eyes sad as she remembered. Scully sighed. These people were not horrible people, and Scully got the impression they had genuinely wanted to help Kayla, but didn't know how to go about doing so, and she was right, their children had to come first.

Scully and Mulder stayed for a little while longer with the Whim's, but they quickly realized this conversation was going nowhere. They didn't know anything about why Kayla would be in danger, nor had they ever received any kind of threatening phone call or visit for the girl.

They thanked the couple and began their drive back to Deerfield.

"What time is it?" Scully asked, breathing out slowly. Mulder checked his watch.

"11:30a.m." He stopped at a stop light. "Why don't we head back to the hotel and take Kayla out for lunch. I feel kinda bad leaving her alone all day. Besides, we could call it quits for the day. At least until we figure out our next course of action." Scully nodded.

"Okay, sounds good. I don't know how much more we could possibly find out. Nobody knows anything about Kayla being in danger. The only consistency between all of the people we've talked to about her is that she's never fit in because of her medical problems." She replied. Mulder agreed, feeling just as frustrated as Scully, but neither were going to give up. As much as Scully wanted to, the more time she spent with Kayla, the more she felt inclined to protect her at any cost.

And according to that file, she was the only one who could.

* * *

Scully and Mulder arrived back at the hotel and surprised Kayla by taking her out for lunch. They spoke only briefly about Bedford's, and Scully decided not to mention the Whim's, and soon, the three were speaking about other things. Mulder and Kayla had a conversation about cell mitosis, which Kayla was apparently having a hard time understanding in biology class. Kayla talked about the first books she ever read as a child, which were clearly advanced for her age, she talked about the State Home a little, and she asked a lot of questions about what it was like to be an FBI agent. Scully couldn't believe they had been at the restaurant for two hours, simply engaging in conversation, and having a good time. Scully had to admit, it was good to see Kayla laughing.

They brought Kayla back to the hotel, and Scully told Mulder she'd be over in a little while to plan for the next day. Scully needed time to think, and she felt bad leaving Kayla alone again.

Kayla walked over to her night table where she picked up one of the new books Scully had picked up this morning. She was already halfway through it. Scully laughed.

"When you told me you liked to read, I didn't realize you were that hardcore." She said, sitting down to take off her boots. Kayla looked up and smiled.

"Yeah, I guess I am." She paused. "Thanks for getting me more books. You don't have to do that, you know."

"I know, but it gives you something to do while we're gone all day." She smiled. "What do you think of that one?" She leaned down to undo her other book, and was surprised to hear silence. She puckered her brow, looking up. Her heart stopped.

"Kayla?" She asked, standing up.

Kayla wasn't moving. She was sitting on the bed, rigid, staring at the wall past Scully. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, and her lips were moving gently. Scully quickly realized this was it, this was the 'episode' everybody kept talking about. Scully moved closer to Kayla, kneeling down in front of her, watching her.

"Kayla?" She tried. No response. Scully noticed Kayla was trembling slightly, and her knuckles were turning purple from clinging to the book so tightly. Scully could only watch, surprised at what she was seeing. Never in any of her years at medical school had she seen or heard about anything like this. It was no wonder the doctors weren't able to diagnose her - this was _not_ medical. Scully was convinced of that.

Suddenly, Kayla's breathing intensified, and her eyes began shifting back and forth, widening every once in a while. It was almost as though she were _seeing_ something, because her eyes fixated on a single point, but not on something that was in the room. Kayla began whispering again.

Scully couldn't make out what she was saying, because it was too low and too quick, but she leaned up closer to Kayla, hoping to make out something - anything. Then she heard it. Only one word that she could make out, and it didn't make any sense.

"...Marzulli..."

Scully stared at her, surprised. How did Kayla know about Marzulli?

Kayla let out a breath, her body relaxed and her eyes focused on Scully. Kayla looked at Scully, and knew just by looking at her what had happened. Kayla sighed, looking away, embarrassed.

"It happened, didn't it?" She asked, her voice shaking. Scully tried not to show alarm or shock at what she had just seen. Until she could figure it all out, she didn't want to frighten Kayla even worse than she already was.

"Yeah, but it's okay." Scully paused. "Are _you_ okay?" Kayla shrugged.

"I guess. I...I don't remember anything about it, so the last thing I remember is you telling me that I was a hardcore reader." She replied. Scully smiled.

"You are definitely that." She said.

Once Scully was convinced Kayla was alright, she headed over to Mulder's room, where he was, again, watching television. Mulder took one look at Scully and knew something was up.

"What's going on?" He asked, turning the tv off. Scully stared at him.

"Kayla just had one of those 'episodes' everyone keeps talking about." She replied. Mulder stared at her.

"Is she okay?" He asked. "Do you have to give her those pills or anything?"

"No, Mulder, I'm not giving her _any_ of that medication. I watched her as it happened. I've never seen anything like this - it was so disorganized and nothing added up. She has no memory of what has happened to her, and that's not normal." Scully breathed out. "I want to go talk to her doctor tomorrow, the one at the State Home. I want to figure out once and for all what is going on with Kayla. It's not fair she's been misdiagnosed all this time." Mulder smiled a little.

"You want to take a break in our investigation to find out what's wrong with Kayla." He nodded with a grin. "You _are_ getting attached, admit it."

Scully sighed.

"Not now, Mulder, and no, I'm not taking a break in this investigation, I just want to talk to her doctor. I've never seen anything like what I just saw, and being on medication for seizures is not going to help Kayla." She explained. Mulder nodded his agreement, but Scully couldn't help but think about what he had just said. Getting attached? Maybe she was. Why else would she step away from the investigation to find out what was wrong with Kayla medically, if it was medical at all? Scully sighed. It didn't matter. Whether she was getting attached or not, that girl was Melissa's daughter, and she wouldn't just stand by and not help her, if she had the chance to do so.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

Terri seemed surprised to see Mulder and Scully at the State Home.

"What's wrong?" She asked, eyebrows narrowing. Scully shook her head with a reassuring smile.

"Nothing, Kayla's fine." She said. "We just wondered if we could talk to Kayla's doctor. You mentioned you had a doctor that comes in twice a week that sees Kayla." Terri laughed a little.

"Geez, good timing. Dr. Mitchell's in today." With that, Terri led them down to the small office Dr. Mitchell used when she came down from the hospital.

"Dr. Mitchell, sorry to interrupt," Terri said, knocking quietly on the door. Dr. Mitchell looked up from a file she was scanning while sitting at her desk. She offered a smile.

"That's okay, I don't have an appointment for an hour - I was just doing some paperwork." Dr. Mitchell looked past Terri curiously at the FBI agents.

"These are the agents from the FBI who are taking care of Kayla Reynolds while they run their investigation. I think I told you about all that. Good. Anyway, they wanted to talk to you." Terri explained. Dr. Mitchell looked concerned.

"Me?" She nodded. "Sure, I'll help however I can."

Terri left them alone, while Scully and Mulder took a seat. Dr. Mitchell smiled.

"I want to thank you for looking out for Kayla right now. She must be so scared with everything that's going on." She said kindly. Scully nodded.

"We're doing what we can." She wanted to get straight to the point. "Dr. Mitchell, we wanted to talk to you about Kayla's...condition, I guess you could call it. Terri says you've been her doctor for a while now. Kayla had an episode last night, and I've been through medical school, and I have never seen anything like what I saw last night."

Dr. Mitchell sighed, pulling her glasses off gently.

"Well, agent Scully, you aren't the only one. Kayla's been to all sorts of specialists and doctors her whole life. Nobody seems to know how to diagnose her. I sure didn't." She paused. "The closest diagnosis anyone could come up with was epilepsy. One doctor even went as far as to suggest she had some mild form of catatonia, because she never moved in her state. Anyway, they obviously never found anything consistent with the DSM, or any medical diagnoses. That's what makes Kayla so difficult to treat. She's a case study, very unique. I feel for the girl. I can't imagine how that must make her feel." Scully nodded her agreement. Poor Kayla had seemed so embarrassed that it had happened in front of her.

"Terri gave me some medication to give her, but I couldn't do it. I didn't feel like it was going to be helpful in any way. Does it affect Kayla at all, the medicine?" She asked. Dr. Mitchell rolled her eyes as she shook her head.

"No, it doesn't do anything. Kayla's been on so many medications, it makes my head spin to read her drug history. Nothing works. But that's the problem - everybody believes it's medical, what's wrong with Kayla. I don't know if I necessarily believe it _is_ medical, but Terri keeps insisting I try a new drug, and to be honest, I don't know what else to try."

"You said you didn't believe it was medical. What's your explanation?" Mulder asked. Dr. Mitchell thought for a moment.

"Best I can come up with is maybe Kayla's somehow crying out for attention. But there's the problem. Even _that_ doesn't seem like Kayla. She's such a reserved kid. I mean, that's gotta be why she's cutting herself." She explained.

Scully's stomach sank as she looked up worriedly.

"What?" She asked.

"Look, I'm not 100% sure that's what it is. I planned to have a serious discussion with Kayla about it the next time I was down, but then all this stuff happened with you and the FBI, I didn't get a chance. But I saw scratches on Kayla's wrists. Just shallow ones, but enough to be concerned. When I asked about it, she quickly told me it was the cat. Well, if you knew the cat here, you'd know he's not a scratcher." Dr. Mitchell replied.

* * *

As Mulder and Scully were leaving the state home, Scully was feeling rather discouraged. She had hoped Dr. Mitchell could tell her something about Kayla's condition that would be helpful, but instead, it was just the same thing everyone else was telling her. Nobody knew what was wrong with her.

"It's not fair to her, Mulder. She'll have to keep going through all these episodes the rest of her life unless someone figures out what's wrong with her. There's got to be a specialist somewhere who hasn't seen her." Scully explained, as they got in the car. Mulder was quiet fora moment before he spoke up.

"If you want my opinion, I agree with Dr. Mitchell." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe it's not medical. And here's my theory - I think the two are connected."

"The two what?"

"Here you have a medical mystery nobody can explain, and there are people who want her. What if the reason they want her is _because_ of this strange disease?" Mulder asked, his eyes going as big as saucers. Scully shook her head, feeling her heart beating hard inside of her.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Doesn't it? Maybe that's the piece of the puzzle we're missing. The only thing that's been consistent throughout this whole investigation is this unknown medical problem." He smiled. "I think it's time we paid a visit to Kayla's surrogate mother."

* * *

Scully still had the address of the woman who carried Kayla to term from the social services office, and soon enough, Mulder and Scully were standing on a rickety old porch out in the country, knocking on a screen door that seemed to be off its hinges. Scully couldn't help but wonder if this was why this woman gave her up; maybe she couldn't afford it. Burns, from the Social Services Department had said there was no money in the family at all. It was possible. Scully felt sorry for the woman.

A woman answered the door, but barely. She opened the door a crack and peeked out nervously, her hands shaking. As soon as she saw the FBI agents, her eyes widened, but Scully took a step forward.

"It's alright, we just want to talk to you." She said calmly.

The woman hesitated greatly, before she opened the door a slight crack. Scully's stomach sank.

The woman's face was covered in fresh bruises, and Scully immediately suspected spousal abuse. Once again, she pondered this being the reason for giving Kayla up.

"Can we come in?" Mulder asked calmly. The woman was clearly exhibiting signs of panic, but she shakily opened the door and let them in, never meeting their gaze.

Scully took a quick glance at the woman's name. Janette Reynolds.

"Ms. Reynolds, I'm sorry for alarming you. We're not here to hurt you in any way. We're just here to talk to you about...about Kayla Reynolds." Scully swallowed. "Your daughter."

Janette's reaction wasn't surprising - she began to sob, but it was difficult to see any tears with the bruises on her face.

As they sat down on ratty sofas, Scully unconsciously looked around for signs of a husband, but there were no photographs, and the table only had one chair. Maybe she was alone, but if that were the case - who in the world put those bruises there?

"Ms. Reynolds, we're running an investigation and we need to find out everything we can about Kayla. Now, I understand this may be difficult for you, but if you can start from the beginning, it might help us out." Mulder explained in his calmest voice. Janette was already freaking out - they didn't want to make her more uncomfortable than she already was.

Janette fidgeted with her skirt nervously as she cleared her throat, still sobbing quietly.

"I never wanted to give her up, you know. Circumstances were beyond my control." She waited for some kind of response, but when Scully and Mulder were silent, she went on. "They weren't my own eggs - I couldn't get pregnant, my husband and I. We weren't getting along very well - I...I thought a baby would make things better. So...I was approved to have some eggs implanted in me." She explained, pausing every once in a while to dab at her eyes with a Kleenix Mulder had offered.

Scully felt her heart skipping beats. She was talking about Melissa's eggs. _This_ was the woman who had a part of Melissa implanted into her.

"Did you know anything about the eggs you were receiving? Who they were from? Did you _meet_ the donor?" Scully asked, a little too desperately. Janette shook her head.

"No, I didn't get to meet her, but I was allowed to see her file. They told me I was allowed to see the file of the donor, so I could know all the medical background and stuff, in case my child ever got sick. They weren't _my_ genes, so I guess it made sense." She sniffled. "Anyway, her name was Melissa Scully. That was all I really knew about her. I was so excited about having a baby, but..." She stopped then and began to cry again. Scully and Mulder could only wait patiently as she gathered enough courage to keep going.

"Then he left me. He left me with no money and...and no choice. I couldn't keep her. I knew it was a girl. I didn't have the money to take care of her, so...so I gave her away, hoping somebody could give her a better life." Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying. Scully really got the impression this woman _loved_ her unborn child and wanted to raise her, but circumstances prevented her from doing so.

Scully continued.

"Ms. Reynolds, do you have any reason to believe Kayla could be danger?" She asked.

Scully definitely didn't get the explanation she was expecting.

In fact, Janette just closed off entirely. She kept her mouth shut, and her hand began shaking again. She was getting nervous, as she began to breathe faster. She opened her mouth, and closed it again, trying to find words. She stuttered on her words, but Scully was able to make them out.

"They know."

And then it hit her.

Scully understood, and her eyes went wide.

"You." She said quietly. "You're the one who sent the file." She felt Mulder's eyes on her. But Janette didn't deny it. In fact, she breathed out shakily.

"Yes." She admitted, controlling her breathing. "Like I said, the only thing I knew about the person who donated the eggs was her name. So...I looked her up and...well, I found out she was dead. Then I found out about you, agent Scully. I found out you were the only family Kayla had, and you're _FBI!_ Besides, I've heard you and your partner specialize in this kind of...weird stuff. You _have_ to help her." Scully shook her head, leaning forward.

"Weird stuff?" She asked, feeling her stomach sink. She could sense Mulder leaning forward, waiting for the proof that his theory was correct.

Janette took a breath and rubbed her forehead.

"You probably won't believe me..." She started. Mulder laughed a little.

"Try me." He replied.

She paused before she continued.

"The laboratory, the one I got the eggs from, well, it was called Marzulli's." She said in a quiet whisper. Scully immediately recognized the name, but not as the one she had read in Janette's file. No, it was the word Scully had heard come out of Kayla's mouth when she went into that state. _But...how could she have known about the lab?_

"I'd never heard of the lab before. I never even _thought _of getting implants, but I saw an ad in the newspaper. I figured, why not give it a try, at least? What did I have to lose? I wasn't getting pregnant with Mike.

"I made an appointment, and they did all kinds of tests on me, and told me I was a match for a set of eggs that had just been donated. Your sisters." She looked at Scully. "They stuck the eggs inside of me, and I was pregnant." She smiled very briefly then. Then, she had a sick look on her face.

"Eight months into my pregnancy, I heard Marzulli's went under. None of the newspapers gave a reason why, it just no longer existed. Well, I didn't think anything of it. I was already pregnant, I didn't need them anymore. But..." She began to tremble again, and at Mulder's coaxing, took a struggled breath, and went on, "But then, one night, I couldn't sleep. Kayla, she...she liked to move a lot inside of me, and I couldn't sleep. So I came downstairs for some milk, and...and that was when...when _they_ broke in."

"Broke in? Who?" Scully was growing anxious, wanting to know the whole truth. What did this all mean?

"_Them_. They were from Marzulli's. There were three of them. They were wearing black masks and lab coats. I knew it was them, because...even though they were...quick, I saw the logo on their lab coats. I recognized it right away. They..." She began to cry as she struggled to remember. "They pinned me down, and pulled out a...a long needle. I don't know what it was, I tried screaming, but...but they gagged me. The stuff in the needle, it...it was _green, _and...and they _stuck it in my belly!"_ She began sobbing uncontrollably. Scully stared at her, wide-eyed, as she shared a glance with Mulder. This _was_ something. They waited until Janette started speaking again.

"They did something to my baby! I _know_ it! She was born completely healthy - the doctors tested her and everything! Nothing was wrong with her, but I didn't believe it. Something had to be wrong. I don't know what they put in me, but it _had_ to affect my baby, somehow!

"Then...then a couple of weeks ago, those...those men came back." She swallowed, unconsciously touching the bruises on her face. "They...they beat me, demanding I tell them...tell them where Kayla was. They beat me so badly, I...I had no choice - I told them the name of the agency that I dealt with. They...they left, and I knew...I knew they wanted her." She began to cry again. "That...that was when I sent you the file."

"Did you tell the police?" Mulder asked. Janette nodded.

"Yes, but...that's just the problem..." She paused, looking from Mulder to Scully. "There's no record of Marzulli's Laboratory _anywhere._ There isn't any proof, no evidence. It's...it's almost as though it never _existed_."


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

Mulder and Scully were on their way to the library. They had just left Janette's house but Scully couldn't believe there wasn't any record whatsoever of a laboratory that took Melissa's eggs and implanted them into Janette's womb. It was simply _impossible._ She figured Janette or the police just didn't look hard enough, so she convinced her partner to go the library. Scully had a feeling Marzulli's was the key to this whole thing. They were the ones who were after Kayla, they _had_ to be. If Janette's story was true, then something was going on that was bigger than Scully imagined.

At the library, Scully was shocked to discover Janette had been right. No old newspapers, no old phonebooks, no advertizing, no web address, nothing to prove there had ever been a Marzulli's Laboratory. Nothing except that small ad posted in the paper in 1981, the ad that led Janette to become pregnant with Melissa's eggs.

The newspaper ad displayed a phone number and an address, so Mulder suggested they take a swing by the old lab, but Scully already had a feeling they wouldn't find anything worthwhile.

On the way to the address in the newspaper, Scully took out her cell phone and dialed the number the ad had advertized. Scully waited for seven rings before she got an automated response that the phone number was no longer in service. Scully breathed out, frustrated. This made no sense. How could there be _no_ record of this place?

Sure enough, as they drove past the address on King Street, they found nothing but an abandoned warehouse with a "condemned" sign hanging on the front fence. Scully shook her head.

"Looks like it was all an underground operation." Mulder pointed out. Scully faced him.

"Is this making sense to you, Mulder? Because it isn't to me. You know what I think? I think the whole thing is a hoax. I think that woman must have gotten the name of the lab wrong, because this isn't making any sense to me. Why would a laboratory, one that seemingly doesn't exist,"

"It might exist, but it could be an underground operation. You have no idea what people are capable of.

"Fine, let's say for argument's sake that this _is_ a secret facility. I still don't understand why they would take eggs from one woman, implant them in another, inject the fetus with something and then all of a sudden, 16 years later, wanting to go after that same kid." Scully waited. Surely Mulder would see how silly the whole thing sounded. But she wasn't surprised when he simply shrugged, ready with another explanation.

"I don't know all the details either, Scully, but if you want my opinion, I think whatever those people injected the baby with when she was still in Janette's stomach is responsible for these seizure-type things she's having now." Mulder raised an eyebrow when Scully stared at him, incredulously. "I think we should do a blood test."

Scully couldn't object. It was a good theory. Whatever Janette had been injected with might be showing up in Kayla's blood stream. It was worth a shot.

* * *

Scully had Mulder wait in the car while Scully went up to get Kayla, who was settled on her bed, halfway through another book.

"Hey Kayla, we need your help with something." Scully asked. Kayla perked up a little, feeling like she would finally be able to do something that didn't involve her being stuck inside a hotel room all day.

But she sulked on the way down to the car, her book under her arm. She didn't think she would have to go for more blood work.

"Isn't there any way you could use some of my blood on file?" Kayla asked, getting into the backseat of the car. Scully smiled to herself. She sounded like a kid. _She is a kid. _

"Labs don't keep blood on file, Kayla, and even if they did, people's blood can change daily. It all depends on what's going on inside." Scully explained.

"But I don't get it. What does my blood have to do with me being in danger?" Kayla asked.

Scully took a glance at Mulder. Even though she had the answer to her question, she didn't think it was a good time to scare Kayla with the details. At least not until she was positive of what they were dealing with.

"It's just all part of the investigation, Kayla." Scully turned to offer Kayla a smile. "Don't worry, it will be over before you know it."

Scully and Mulder waited in the waiting room of the lab while Kayla was having her blood drawn by one of the nurses. When Kayla came out of the room moments later, pale and a piece of cotton taped to the inside of her elbow, Scully offered a quick smile, and left the girl with Mulder, who took her to the coffee shop, as she headed to the back room where she had already received clearance to analyze Kayla's blood herself.

Scully waited patiently as Kayla's blood went through the processes of being ready to analyze, and soon, she was staring at a plate under a microscope. She wasn't sure what to expect, but nothing could have prepared her for what she was seeing. She even rubbed her eyes and changed the setting on the microscope to be sure.

The DNA was strange, the strangest thing she had ever seen. In fact, what was in Kayla's blood was like nothing she had ever seen before in all her years of medical school or training. There it was, an extra chromosome on number 14. Scully checked it six different times before she realized it wasn't a trick of her eye, it was actually _there._ What it meant, Scully didn't know, but she knew it wasn't normal, and she didn't doubt it being a factor in Kayla's episodes. But why were people after her for an extra chromosome?

Scully found Kayla and Mulder sitting in a booth at the coffee shop, sipping mochas, while Kayla's cheeks gained some color again. They saw her coming, and Mulder handed her a hot cup.

"For you." He said. Scully smiled and cleared her throat.

"Mulder, will you come with me a minute? I need to speak to you." She said. Kayla's face dropped as she stared at Scully. She sensed something was wrong, she didn't like it. Mulder continued to act casual though.

"Sure, come on Kayla. Why don't you wait with the nurses while we chat for a sec." He said with a wink.

With Kayla in the safe hands of the nurses, Scully brought him to the backroom where she had him look through the microscope.

"What am I looking for?" He asked. Scully rolled her eyes. Right, he wasn't the doctor, _she_ was.

"Chromosome 14. There's an extra chromosome! I've never seen anything like this before. Chromosomal abnormalities are rare, except for Trisomy 21, Down's Syndrome. But, on 14, it's unheard of! There isn't a case in medical history like this, Mulder." She explained. "If Janette is telling the truth about them injecting her, it's possible whatever they injected her with must have mutated or something and caused this genetic abnormality." The gears were working Mulder's head.

"You've never seen this before?" He asked. Scully shook her head and waited to hear Mulder's latest theory. He looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.

"What if it's not human?" He asked. Scully breathed out.

"Oh, not now Mulder, seriously..."

"No, I am being serious. Come on, hear me out. What if this _is _extra-terrestrial?" Scully raised an eyebrow.

"What, you think aliens came down from outer space, disguised themselves as lab technicians and injected a pregnant woman with an alien substance?"

"No," Mulder shook his hand, "The lab technicians are human. But what if they're getting their _orders_ from an extra-terrestrial force?" Scully breathed out, holding her eyes shut with her fingers.

"Alright fine, humour me." She looked up. "Why? If aliens did do this, why would they do it? It's not like Kayla's anything phenomenol. If this injection is causing her medical condition, it's nothing extraordinary. She just zones out and mumbles." Mulder raised an eyebrow.

"What was it she said?" He asked. Scully looked down, trying to remember.

"She said Marzulli's." She replied. Mulder nodded, as though confirming something in his own head, and headed out. Scully sighed, wishing she could be inside of his head sometimes.

* * *

On the ride home, Mulder casually asked Kayla if she had ever heard of a place called Marzulli's Laboratory. Scully couldn't believe how casually he had slipped it in there. Kayla wasn't at all suspiscious. She just looked up from her book with a raised eyebrow.

"Who?" She inquired.

* * *

Later, when Kayla was fast asleep in her room, Scully went to hear more on Mulder's theory, no matter _how_ strange it sounded. Maybe she would be able to pull something out of his theory that would actually help them figure out this case.

"What if Kayla has some kind of supernatural power?" Mulder asked. Scully was growing tired. Now this was all starting to sound like a load of crap.

"Why do you think that?" She asked.

"How else do you explain her ability to say Marzulli's while she's in her state, but now saying she's never heard of it?"

"Maybe she just forgot."

"Didn't you say she has no memory of what happens when she has one of these episodes?"

Scully nodded.

"So what, you're saying she has the ability to 'see' the past?" She asked. Mulder shrugged.

"Could be. Or maybe she can see the future." He said. "Think about it. Either way, it would make sense these guys would want her. That's a really valueable tool to have. Can you imagine the power that holds? Knowing the past, or the future?"

He went on for a while, but Scully wasn't convinced. She remained skeptical.

But, as she headed back to her hotel room, she couldn't help but think about what Mulder had said. How else could they explain how Kayla had knI own about Marzulli's in her episode, but said she never heard of them. It made Scully cringe inside - she hated it when she started to think there could be truth to Mulder's crazy theories.

As she kicked her shoes off and pulled her pajamas out of her suitcase, she heard a quiet voice coming from Kayla's bed.

"So, what's wrong with me?" She practically whispered. Scully turned around and saw Kayla supporting herself on her elbow, staring at Scully with tired eyes. Scully, sighing, took a spot on her own bed, facing Kayla.

"Nothing's wrong with you." Scully explained.

"I know you guys looked at my blood. You must have seen something weird. Something abnormal. Do you know who's after me? Have you arrested anybody?" Kayla asked. Scully breathed out.

"Kayla, we don't know anything yet. We're doing everything we can to figure it all out, and it's...well it's just better right now if we keep everything on the down-low until we know things for sure."

Kayla sighed.

"So I have to be kept in the dark until then?"

"I think so. It's just to protect you." Scully said. Kayla sighed, but seemed to accept it, as she leaned back up against her pillows with a sigh.

Scully didn't want to leave it at that. She felt horrible. Scully and Mulder were gone all day and left her alone to do nothing but read, and on top of that, they weren't telling her anything. She couldn't help but feel like she owed Kayla a normal conversation.

"So, how's your book?" She asked, receiving a smile from Kayla.

"I'm going to have to get a new shelf back home for all these new books," she said in a cheerful tone, "this is my first time reading _A Tale of Two Cities_. I really like it."

"Is there anything you _don't_ like reading?" Scully asked in a joking tone, but Kayla wasn't laughing. She just breathed out slowly.

"Sometimes it bugs me to read about families." She admitted shyly, with a small shrug. "I guess that's to be expected though. But it doesn't matter - there's lots of literature out there that doesn't focus on family as a central theme." Scully couldn't believe how intelligent and well-spoken this 16-year-old was. She tried to remember Melissa at 16. It was hard.

"I imagine it must have been very hard for you, Kayla, growing up the way you did." Scully said, trying to be empathetic. She wasn't sure how she expected Kayla to respond. In fact, she wondered what had gotten into her. It wasn't like her to dive right into emotional topics.

But Kayla simply shrugged.

"It's not like I knew any differently. How can you miss what you never had?" She asked casually, tugging on her sleeve unconsciously. That was when Scully remembered what Dr. Mitchell had said, about the possibility of Kayla self-injuring. Scully swallowed, was this really the right time? It wasn't like she and Kayla were close - Scully was simply sharing a room with her because they had to. Was she really the one to ask about this?

But she felt she couldn't just forget about it either. Whether she was ready to admit to it or not, this kid was her neice. They shared the same blood.

Scully cleared her throat.

"Kayla, you don't have to talk to me about anything. I'm probably the _last_ person you want to share stuff with, but when I was talking to your doctor, Dr. Mitchell, she told me she thought you were struggling with something that she hasn't had a chance to ask you about. She said she saw...cuts on your wrist." Scully wasn't surprised when Kayla clammed up. She didn't really know how to ask these kinds of questions - maybe she was too blunt about it - honestly, what did _she_ know about talking to teenagers?

"I'm sorry, Kayla, I didn't mean to upset you. I just...wanted to know if you were alright." Scully sighed. "And you know, maybe you should tell someone if you're not."

Kayla didn't say a word, she simply reached for her book and opened it up to where she left off.

Scully didn't want to leave their conversation on that note, so she cleared her throat.

"You know, I read that book in high school, a hundred years ago," she grinned when she caught a smile on Kayla's lips, "who's your favourite character?" Kayla thought and then smiled.

"Lucie." She replied.

"Why Lucie?" Scully asked. Kayla breathed out dreamily.

"She just has it so great. She's so central to the plot, I mean, without her, there wouldn't be a book, would there? And how wonderful would it be to have _two_ guys falling in love with you?" She asked. Scully shrugged, bringing her legs up on her bed, feeling more comfortable.

"I don't know, I think it's better to have the full attention of one guy. Too much drama if you have to choose. Besides, there's someone for everyone."

"Do you really believe that?"

"What?"

"That there's someone for everyone? Do you believe that?" Scully looked over and realized Kayla was waiting for her answer. Scully smiled.

"Yeah, I do." She replied, staring at the girl in a new way. Scully hadn't planned for this to happen, but she was growing attached. She felt for the girl, who had never experienced love in her life. Instead, she lived out her wishes and fantasies through her books.

"Everyone deserves love, Kayla," Scully found herself saying, and watched as Kayla listened intently. Scully was strangely reminded of late night conversations she would have with her sister during their high school years, "it can come from the strangest people, and at the most unexpected times, but everyone is loved by someone." Scully couldn't believe she was saying all of this.

Kayla smiled, and Scully swore she saw a tear in the corner of her eye. She turned back to her book with a nod.

"Thank you, agent Scully." She said simply.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

The next morning, Scully got up early and headed over to talk to Mulder. She hadn't been able to sleep at all the previous night, as she had thought about what Mulder had said. Kayla predicting the future? It seemed farfetched, but at the same time, it didn't make any logical sense how Kayla would know anything about Marzulli's Laboratory without ever having heard of it before. In any case, Scully believed what they were dealing with was far more dangerous than they had been giving it credit for. If the same men who attacked Janette Reynolds for information, how much more danger was Kayla in? They were after _her_, after all.

Forgetting to knock on his door, Scully barged in as Mulder scrambled to pull his shirt over his head. He turned and stared at her incredulously.

"You don't knock?" He asked innocently. Scully sighed and looked away as Mulder finished dressing.

"Sorry, I should have. I had to talk to you though, it's kind of important."

"You buy my theory that Kayla has telepathic powers?"

"Mulder!"

"Sorry, so what's up?"

"I think we should head down to the police station this morning and get some extra guards for the hotel and the room. If those same guys who attacked Janette are the ones who are after Kayla, then we can't be taking this lightly. There will be more than one of _them_, and if there's only one cop manning the post, he'll be outnumbered. If we're going to be away and investigating Marzulli's Lab further, I need to know Kayla's going to be safe here." Scully explained. Mulder simply nodded, as he straightened his tie.

"Sounds like a good idea," he said, and with a smirk, added, "but I'm still right about Kayla." Scully sighed.

"Great, why don't you just ask her about it? I'm sure she'd love to tell you herself she is not psychic." Mulder shook her head with a roll of his eyes.

"Scully, you said she doesn't remember anything in those states. She's not conscious of her gifts."

Scully had to admit, Mulder had her there.

Scully headed back to their room to gather her stuff together and Kayla was brushing her teeth. She peeked her head out the bathroom door and curiously watched as Scully got ready.

"Where are you going today?" Kayla asked boredly. Scully looked up and saw Kayla coming out of the bathroom with a discouraged look on her face.

"Oh, we're just going to the police station, get some things in order." She said, leaving out the part about extra bodyguards.

Kayla was quiet for a minute before she spoke again.

"Can...can I come with you?" She asked. Scully didn't say anything. She just stopped gathering her things and peered at her curiously. Kayla continued.

"I understand why I can't go other places, it's dangerous and everything, but if it's just the police station. What could happen there? Please?"

Scully did feel for Kayla, cooped up here all alone all day besides the company of a strange police officer. She was right, what harm would it do to bring her to the police station. Then she'd bring her back here before they continued their investigation on Marzulli's Laboratories.

"Alright, you can come, but I have to admit, it might be a little boring." Scully warned, but smiled when Kayla's whole face lit up and she ran to gather her coat. Scully grinned as she headed out into the hallway, telling the police officer on duty they would be taking Kayla with them for a couple of hours.

Mulder seemed happy to bring Kayla along as the three of them piled into the rental car. Mulder got along so well with Kayla, and Kayla really enjoyed Mulder's stories and conversations. Scully was having such a difficult time connecting with Kayla, but Mulder dove right in. _But last night was good._ Scully reminded herself. It was the first time they had talked about stuff other than the case. It was a breakthrough, Scully was proud of herself. She had been so scared to get close to the girl, because of Melissa, but she had to remind herself that this _wasn't _Melissa, it was her daughter. _Is that any different?_ She wondered to herself.

Kayla seemed pleased to get out of the hotel room, just as she had earlier in the week when they had taken her for lunch. She seemed to want to help in every way, trying to offer any information she thought was necessary, but of course, nothing turned into a lead in any way, but still, Scully admired Kayla's willingness to help find the people who were after her. And if she was feeling any fear, she wasn't showing it at all.

They arrived at the police station not long afterward, and Scully told Kayla that under no circumstances was she to wander off or anything. She needed to stay with Scully and Mulder the whole time. Kayla understood, and followed them in.

One of the officers led the three into a small room to wait for the first available officer to help them set up new bodyguards.

They didn't think it would take long, but half an hour passed, and still, nobody was coming in. Scully was getting restless; there was so much they could be doing right now. The police _knew_ how critical this investigation was - why would they take so long?

Kayla seemed to be bored as well. She hadn't brought any of her books along with her, and she did a good job pretending like she was interested, but Scully understood - she was getting antsy too.

Finally, Mulder stood up.

"I'm going to get a coffee, and I'm going to see what's taking so long," he turned to Scully and Kayla, "you want anything?"

Kayla requested a hot chocolate and Scully declined. Mulder left and Scully sighed.

"I'm sorry, Kayla, I really didn't think this would take very long." Scully apologized. But Kayla didn't respond. Scully looked over and recognized it immediately. Kayla was staring at the wall behind Scully with wild eyes and her body was trembling. She was having one of her episodes.

"Kayla." Scully tried, but this time was different. Kayla began shaking so violently, she collapsed from her chair onto the floor!

Scully ran over and dropped to the ground beside her, grabbing her shoulders to keep her steady. Scully noticed Kayla's mouth was moving softly, and when the girl stopped shaking, her eyes were still fixed hard on the ceiling, almost catatonic.

Scully pulled Kayla up and leaned her up against the wall, hoping it would help the blood flow to her brain and pull her out of this sooner. Scully knelt down in front of Kayla and watched her carefully for any signs of distress. Kayla was breathing very heavily, and her eyes were off somewhere else. She wouldn't look at Scully, she _couldn't_ look at Scully. It was almost as though she weren't even there.

Kayla's body was still trembling, and Kayla was sweating profusely as she struggled to breath. It almost sounded as though she were...whimpering. Scully knew this was bad, when she had first seen Kayla have an episode, it was _nothing_ like this. What changed?

Scully didn't even know what to do - she knew Kayla would come out of it, at least she _hoped._ She didn't dare leave her alone.

And then suddenly, Scully could make out what Kayla was mumbling. Usually, her lips just moved, but now, the practically inaudible whisper was just loud enough for Scully to make it out.

But Kayla was speaking so fast and rapidly, as her wide eyes stared at the wall behind Scully with such intense fear, Scully didn't know what to make of it. But then, as Kayla seemed to be repeating her sentences again and again, Scully made it out, and her stomach dropped.

"They're coming, they're coming in a car, a blue car, they're coming for me, they're coming right now, they're here, they're here to get me. They're coming, they're coming in a car, a blue car, they're coming for me, they're coming right now, they're here, they're here to get me. They're coming, they're coming in a car, a blue car, they're coming for me, they're coming right now, they're here, they're here to get me." There were tears in Kayla's eyes as she breathed in and out so fast and her body continued to tremble. Scully shook her head, grabbing Kayla by the shoulders again.

"I'm not going to let it happen, okay? I'm right here, nobody's taking you anywhere!" Scully said, feeling a strange truth overwhelm her. What if Mulder really _was_ right? If Kayla was somehow seeing the future, then the people who were after her were _here._ Scully breathed out, checking her belt for her gun to be safe.

"Kayla, you gotta keep talking to me. What are you seeing? Do you _see_ something? How do you know?" She asked quickly, but it was all in vain, because Kayla's eyes fluttered quickly, and she lost consciousness.

"Mulder!" Scully screamed out, easing Kayla down into a lying position, patting her cheeks slightly to try and wake her up but it was useless.

Mulder came flying into the room, placed the drinks on the table and ran over.

"What happened?" He asked. Scully shook her head.

"She went into one of her episodes, and she was talking so fast and then she passed out," she turned to Mulder with wide eyes, "Mulder, if you're right about her being able to see the future, then whoever's after her is here right now."

Mulder's face paled, and he pulled out his gun.

"Then we need to track them down." He said quietly. Scully nodded, as Mulder pulled a random police officer who was standing close by into the room.

"Watch her." He said, pointing at Kayla, who was still out cold. The officer nodded, as Mulder and Scully ran from the room, holding their guns up carefully, ready to attack anyone who tried to get to Kayla. Scully vowed she was not going to let anything happen to the girl.

Kayla groaned as she felt consciousness returning to her. She struggled to sit up as she opened her eyes and realized Scully and Mulder were gone. Feeling nervous, she looked around and realized she wasn't alone. There was someone in the room with her.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the man. She knew him. She had _seen_ him. In her mind, she knew he was coming for her. He was dressed in a police uniform, but it was a ruse, it _had_ to be. It was the first time she remembered something from one of her episodes. He was coming right at her.

She tried to scream, but he jumped her, pressing his hard hand against her mouth to silence her, as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a syringe bubbling with green liquid. Kayla tried to squirm away from the man, but he was too strong, and before Kayla could escape, the man injected her and Kayla fell victim to unconsciousness in seconds.

Seconds later, a police officer ran into the room and stared at the girl who was unconscious on the floor.

"What happened? I heard her screaming!" The officer pointed out. The man, who was not really a police officer, hid his face, but answered.

"I don't know, she woke up screaming and then passed out again. Must have been another one of her weird episode things." He explained. The officer hesitated.

"Alright, I'd better go tell those FBI agents." He said, and with that, he ran from the room.

The man had to act fast. He had to get Kayla out of here before those meddling agents found out what he was doing.

He ran to the window, and pulled it open, where his sidekick was waiting, the back door of their police car open and ready to go.

The disguised man quickly scooped Kayla into his arms and passed her out the window to his accomplice, who placed her gently in the backseat. The first man jumped out the window, and in seconds, the two men were in the car, and driving away from the police station.

Nobody had even seen it comin

* * *

*

Scully and Mulder did a full run around the station, checking vehicles, and bushes and behind trees, but there was nothing suspiscious happening at all. Scully was beginning to wonder if Mulder was right after all. Maybe Kayla was just expressing some unconscious fear that she was in danger, and it came out during one of her episodes. That was all she could figure, because there was nobody around who seemed to be a threat.

"Mulder, let's go back inside. I want to check on Kayla. Sorry to drag you out here, but for a minute there, I thought you could be right." Scully said, putting her gun back in her belt. Mulder raised an eyebrow.

"I still could be right." He pointed out. Rolling her eyes, Scully followed Mulder back into the police station.

She was surprised to find a bunch of officers yelling at each other, and some scrambling around with panicked looks on their faces. Scully's stomach dropped, as she approached one of them.

"What's going on?" She asked. The officer hesitated, and, sighing, looked down.

"The girl who was with you, she's, uh, she's gone." He explained. Scully's heart leapt into her throat.

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" She asked.

"One minute, she was with an officer in that room, and the next, she was gone. The...the officer's gone too." The man replied.

Scully's stomach was doing flips. This was it. Mulder had been right all along. Kayla saw them coming, but they were looking in the wrong places. It had all been a set up. They had come dressed as cops, and their plan succeeded.

Kayla was right. She had seen them coming, and now, they had her.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

Scully sat quietly on a rolling chair, sipping hot coffee numbly as she stared distantly at the wall in front of her. She couldn't believe this had happened. She was trusted to take care of the girl, and now she was gone. She'd been taken. She cursed herself for running out to find the "bad guys"; instead, she should have stayed with Kayla, if she had just done that, she'd still be here.

Scully knew the police were looking for clues around the station, she knew there was already road blocks and BPA's put out on unlicensed police vehicles, but it didn't matter. Whether they found Kayla or not, she blamed herself for her disappearance. She'd never be able to forgive herself. She lost her own neice.

Mulder approached her just then. He breathed out.

"There's no sign of them, Scully, and there's no evidence here to give any clues as to where they may have taken her." He cleared his throat. "But I say if we go back to that abandoned warehouse, you know the one that used to be Marzulli's, I think we'd have better luck." Scully simply shook her head.

"Mulder, there _is_ nothing there. It was all a hoax, it must have been a fake address or something. The place was abandoned." She pointed out. Mulder shrugged.

"Yeah, but think about it. What if that place is where the lab _used_ to be. I mean, come on, they must have had a physical lab at some point. Where else would they have frozen Melissa's eggs and implanted them into Janette? I think if we go there, we might find some answers." He replied. Scully sighed, grabbed her coat and followed him, telling the officer in charge to phone her if they found _anything._

But Mulder was right. It wasn't as though they were finding anything here. It was a dead end. Whoever planned this cleaned up their tracks well. Maybe they _would_ have better luck at the old warehouse on King Street.

As they drove, Scully tried to push away all the possibilities of where Kayla could be, or who she could be with. Mulder's theory was insane, but even _that_ possibility was running through her mind. What if whoever injected Janette was directly responsible for Kayla's episodes, and what if Kayla's episodes really _could_ see the future, and what if those same people knew what she could do, if it were all true? Scully closed her eyes, ignoring the part about extra-terrestrial life. That part was nuts.

They arrived at the old warehouse and parked the car. Mulder motioned for her to pull her gun out and Scully did, albeit begrudgingly. She felt like they were going to hit another dead end. They would enter the warehouse and there would be nothing but rats and mold. She needed to find Kayla - she doubted this warehouse would do anything to help her.

Mulder kicked the front door down, after two tries, and they entered the dark building. Scully strained to see anything, the windows were all taped black, but soon, the room lit up as Mulder had found the electrical switch.

"That's better." He said with a witty smile. Scully rolled her eyes and followed after him.

Well, she thought, chalk one up for Mulder. This place was clearly a lab once upon a time. Bunson burners and beakers and test tubes were thrown all over the place. It was clear someone had ransacked this lab, trying to clear out in a hurry. Scully felt a little more optimistic. Cleaning up in a hurry meant they may have left something behind.

They split up and looked for clues. Scully wasn't sure what she was really looking for. Anything with the name Scully, or Reynolds on it, she supposed, but it didn't seem as though anything had names on it.

Then she found a file folder on one of the desks. It had been burned, the papers were blackened and crumbling, but she recognized the name on the side. "Scully." Scully picked up the folder and opened it, only to find a photograph of her sister fall into her hands. Everything else was too burnt to make out, but she held the photograph up, letting herself be pulled into her grief, as she thought of her sister, and what she would do if she were here today.

"Hey Scully, you'd better come take a look at this." Mulder called all of a sudden. Scully shook herself out of it, and put the photograph in her coat pocket. She ran over to where Mulder was standing, and stopped when she realized what he was holding.

It was a vile of green serum.

"My guess is this is the stuff they injected Janette with, the stuff that somehow ended up in Kayla. I think this is the stuff responsible for that chromosome stuff you found in Kayla's blood." Mulder explained. Scully nodded, as Mulder pocketed it for later testing. Whoever these people were, they didn't do a very good job of cleaning up their tracks.

Moments later, Scully came across an address book of sorts. Jackpot, she thought, as she began leafing through the pages. Maybe there would be something in here that would lead them straight to Kayla.

Bingo.

The words _Safe House_ were scrawled under the 'S' category of the phonebook, and there were two astericks beside it. _153 Welland Park Drive, Apt 633_.

"Mulder!" She called, and pointed it out to him when he ran over. He looked up with the same hopeful feeling she felt.

"I think we should take a drive over there." Mulder said, and grabbing the phonebook, he and Scully jogged out of the warehouse.

* * *

Meanwhile, at 153 Welland Park Drive, Apt. 633, three men huddled over one laptop and argued over what they were seeing.

"You ain't doin' it right, man, I'm tellin' ya."

"Listen to me, pal, I been doin' this way longer than you have, okay? So cool it!"

"Just shut up, alright, boss won't be giddy 'bout us fightin' over somethin' so important." The second guy turned to make sure everything was still hooked up properly. He checked the wires for the third time, but the girl was wired up properly, as far as he could tell. She was out cold, just like she was supposed to be, but she was shaking pretty violently. That was why they weren't sure if they were doing it right. It was a little frightening.

The first man, named Skolski jumped out of the computer and approached Kayla, grabbing a tight hold of her hand.

"Look you idiot! You don't have the IV stuck up far enough, that's yer problem!" Skolski took the tube that was taped over Kayla's hand, and untaped it, shoving the small needle further into her vein, strapping it back into place with a new strip of tape. "That's how _he_ told us to do it, remember?"

The man called Muffs shook his head angrily.

"If you keep pullin' it in and out, it ain't gonna do nothin'!" He took a glance at the green liquid pumping out of a canister, flowing smoothly through the IV tube and into Kayla's body. "You gotta get this stuff in quickly and without interruption. That's what makes her powers so much more incredible. That's what _they_ want." He said, checking the gauge on the canister.

The third guy, Bender, breathed out, pressing his fingers to his temples. He couldn't even look at Kayla. The poor kid was out cold but the way she was shaking like that, well, he didn't like it, and he had no problems saying it.

"Man, I hate this. This is _nothing_ like what I signed up for." He said, nervously biting away at his fingernails. Skolski scoffed.

"Hey man, we do what we're told, alright?" He asked. Bender shook his head.

"Yeah, but what are we gonna do with the kid? I mean, after we extract whatever powers she supposedly has?" He asked. Skolski shook his head.

"You growin' soft, man? Besides, it don't matter. The boss said the kid won't survive anyway." He explained.

"Look, we just need to extract this power from the kid, and then _they'll_ leave us alone, alright?" Muff added, checking the gauge once again. Bender breathed out.

"Man, this was supposed to be _experimental!_ They didn't tell us 16 years ago that they'd have us come back 16 years later and kidnap a kid, and now _kill_ her!" He said, gripping his hair tightly.

"Well we didn't exactly expect it to work either, did we?" Skolski asked. "We never would have even known about it. But _they_ just figured it out. I mean it took them this long too, but now that they know, they want it. I mean _they're_ the ones who invented the serum. All we did was stick it in that chick. We knew nothing about it, but they must have thought _somethin'_ was gonna happen."

Bender breathed out, and stole a glance at the girl again. He turned away, feeling his heart hammering against his chest. He didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

Scully was beginning to imagine the worst by now. It had already been an hour since Kayla was taken, and the only clue they had been able to find was an address for a "safe house." They were on their way there now, and Scully couldn't even begin to imagine what they would do next if they didn't find her there. She didn't feel very optimistic about it either. The old laboratory was nothing but an abandoned old warehouse now. Who was to say this "safe house" wasn't going to be just as abandoned?

The snow had begun to pick up and Mulder was finding it difficult to drive, since he was only able to see a few feet in front of him. At least the roads weren't full of traffic, but even still, Mulder didn't want to drive too fast, they still had to arrive safely.

"Do you think we should have called for backup?" Scully asked suddenly, feeling a reverse of thoughts. Even though she greatly doubted they would find anything at this place, she couldn't help but also fear what would happen if they did. Mulder simply shrugged.

"If it turns out to be a bust, then what? We've both got guns, Scully. For now, that'll have to do. Just, you know, watch my back." He offered a smile. Scully breathed out, smiling back just slightly.

"I will as long as you watch mine." She replied.

"We'll find her, Scully." Mulder said. Scully sighed.

"I should have just listened to you in the first place, Mulder. I know it sounds crazy, and it doesn't make an _ounce_ of logical tangible sense, but somehow, she saw them coming, and if I had just listened to you-"

"Hey, don't you dare blame yourself. Even if we had stayed with her, one of us could be dead right now. These guys sound tough. I don't think they would have stopped at anything to get her out of there." Mulder replied, quickly glancing over. "Besides, you did believe her, you got me and we checked it out."

"But we were looking in the wrong place, Mulder. They infiltrated the police station. They went after her from the _inside!_" Scully felt angry for leaving Kayla alone, she should have sent Mulder with some officers. She should have stayed with Kayla, no matter how much of a risk it placed on her life. Kayla was her neice, she couldn't deny that anymore, Kayla was family. Melissa never would have left her alone.

"I think they were sloppy. Pulling a kidnapping stunt in a police station, _especially_ if they know what Kayla can do. They should have assumed she could see them coming." Mulder explained. Scully shook her head.

"No, I don't think they were sloppy at all. They know their stuff. Coming in as cops was the best way to do it. Kayla never remembers what she sees, remember? If they knew that about her, then they wouldn't have anything to worry about, would they?" She asked. Mulder raised an eyebrow.

"But this time was different, you heard what she said. Kayla just failed to mention they were dressed in cop uniforms." He pointed out.

"With the state she's in when she has these visions, if that's what they are, I doubt she'd be conscious enough to realize she has to be descriptive." Scully added, looking out the window. She couldn't see much, but she knew they were getting close. She only hoped that wherever Kayla was, she was okay, and she hoped that if they really did find Kayla at the "safe house," they would get there before it was too late.

* * *

They finally found the road that veered off the highway and down through the countryside and it wasn't long before they were pulling up to an old cottage that appeared just as abandoned as the warehouse on King Street. It was hard to tell with all the snow falling, but it almost looked as though the windows were intentionally painted black.

Scully followed Mulder's movements of pulling her gun out as she exited the car. Now that they were here, the place seemed more and more suspiscious. Whether or not they would actually find Kayla here or not, Scully had a feeling they would find something.

Mulder led the way as they slowly made their way around the back of the building where they found a rusty door that was unlocked! Scully felt her heart in her throat - could it mean there was somebody inside?

They quietly entered the building and found themselves in a dark entrance. Mulder pulled out his flashlight, still holding his gun up as he led the way further into the house. They were both intentional about staying silent; if there was somebody in this building, they would have to make sure they were quiet, especially if Kayla was here. They couldn't put her at risk.

Even though the exterior of the house looked much like an old cottage, the inside was completely different. It looked more like an old warehouse, very similar to the one on King Street, except this one was a lot more dirty. Garbage was strewn all over the floor, curtains were ripped, dust was flying up in the air. To the naked eye, it looked as though nobody was here. Maybe the door being unlocked meant nothing.

There didn't seem to be anything that would give them any clues as to where Kayla could be, and Scully immediately felt angry at another dead end. By now, whoever took Kayla could have her halfway across the country. No, she would not think that way. She _had_ to find her.

"Mulder, let's go, there's nobody here. Let's go back to the police station, maybe they found something." Scully said, brushing sweat off her brow. Mulder shook his head.

"They would have called if they did." He pointed out.

"Still, there's nothing here, it was a dead-" She saw the look in Mulder's eyes. He _heard_ something. She shut up and strained her ears to listen, and then she heard the muffled murmurs coming from above them. It sounded like men. Then, one of the voices got louder.

"Will you _quit_ worryin'? No one's gonna catch us!"

Mulder and Scully exchanged quick glances, pulled their guns and found the staircase. Thankful the stairs didn't creak on their way up, Mulder led the way once again, and followed the sounds of those voices. Scully had to control her breathing. If she found Kayla hurt, or worse...well, she couldn't think that way.

Now on the second floor, the voices were louder, and more clear. Scully heard three distinct voices. They were outnumbered, but it didn't matter - those men weren't aware they were about to ambushed.

Soon Mulder and Scully were standing outside the closed door where the voices were coming from. Mulder glanced at Scully to make sure she was ready. Scully held her gun up and gave a small nod. With all his force, Mulder kicked down the door.

Those three arguing voices quickly became frantic screams and sounds of panic as Mulder held his gun up to the three men who stared at the two FBI agents incredulously. Scully wasn't watching them, though. She caught sight of Kayla laying on a gurney of sorts, hooked up to some machine, and her whole body was trembling. Her face was pure white, her lips blue, and Scully was sure she saw a familiar line of green fluid entering her body through an IV tube.

But Scully didn't have a chance to do anything about it, because the three men charged at Mulder, but Mulder was too quick for them. He ducked the punch of the first man, and used his elbow to knock out the second guy. While the third guy approached Mulder, the first man went at Mulder from behind, but Scully jumped him, and hit him hard over the head with her gun. With two guys down, Mulder pushed goon number three to the ground and held the gun to his head.

"Don't shoot, don't shoot, okay?" The man said in a panic, shakily raising his hands in the air. "I-I didn't want to do it, okay? I'm sorry, don't hurt me!"

"Who are you?" Mulder asked, pressing the gun hard against the guy's temple. He winced and shook like a leaf.

"B-Bender, my name's Bender." The man explained, closing his eyes tightly. Mulder took his eyes off him for a moment as his eyes followed Scully's to where Kayla was shaking violently. Mulder gave Scully a nod, as if to say he had everything under control. Scully pocketed her gun and ran over to Kayla, but not before both Mulder and Scully noticed a digital readout on the machine Kayla was hooked up to. "95% Complete."

Scully forced her tears away as she took Kayla's shaking hand into her own and gently removed the IV drip that was forcing whatever poison this was into her body. Kayla was convulsing, and strange sounds were coming from her mouth. Scully tried to hold her still as she reached into her pocket for her cell phone, quickly calling 911, trying to keep her voice steady.

Mulder, shaking with rage, turned back to Bender with anger in his eyes.

"Talk! What is this machine, and what were you pumping into her body?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"I-I swear I don't know, man! I-I was just following orders. Th-that's the only reason I'm here, I swear to you! I didn't want nothing to do with any of this, but I'm just following orders! I didn't mean to hurt nobody!" Bender replied, still shaking.

"Whose orders?" Mulder ordered.

"I-I don't know, I never m-met them! Skolski's the one who got the orders. He's the only one who ever talked to them. I-I did see 'em once though. Just in passing, b-but Skolski talked to 'em." Bender finally met Mulder's eyes. "C-call me crazy, but I didn't think th-they were human."

Mulder stared at him, convinced he was telling the truth. Everything he had believed all this time about extra-terrestrial involvement was partially confirmed. He wouldn't know everything until he was able to question this Skolski character, but he was currently unconscious.

Mulder reached into his jacket pocket, and after handcuffing Bender to a chair, he called for back-up, watching Scully over his shoulder, who was smoothing Kayla's hair out of her face, and saying something to her. The kid was out cold, and not doing well. Mulder swore he saw a tear in Scully's eye. The machine said 95% Complete. Mulder couldn't be sure, but just by looking at Kayla, he could only assume she was 5% away from being dead.

He hoped the ambulance would get here soon.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

Scully paced endlessly in a small hospital room two nights later, fingering the rim of her coffee cup. It was her sixth cup that night, but no matter how late it was, she would not sleep. Not with Kayla laying there like she was. Not when she had come so close...

Scully hadn't left the room, Mulder had done all the official police business with the men who had abducted and nearly killed Kayla. Scully was thankful the doctors were able to save Kayla's life, but she had remained unconscious for two days! The doctors hadn't recognized the serum those men were pumping into Kayla's body, and still hadn't figured out what it was. Scully didn't know either, she hoped today, those men had finally talked.

For the first two days, Bender was the only one who would talk, but his knowledge about everything was limited. He was clearly not one of the head honchos. He only knew what he was told, and the other two men, Muffs and Skolski, weren't talking. Mulder had spent all day both days talking to them together and apart, trying to get a confession, an explanation, but nothing.

Scully didn't really care - they were caught before they had killed Kayla. Scully just spent her time in Kayla's hospital room, waiting for her to wake up. She wanted Kayla to wake up knowing she was safe. Scully had already contacted the State Home, but Terri had been too busy to come out. She was just glad Kayla was alright, and Scully promised she would keep her updated, which Terri was thankful for.

Today, Scully sat with Kayla, and when she was sure she was alone with her, she pulled out Kayla's favourite book, _Pride and Prejudice_ and read a couple of chapters to her. She wasn't sure if Kayla was even able to hear her, but it brought Scully comfort anyway.

Some time that night, Mulder came in with an exhausted look on his face. He had been at the prison all day, interrogating Skolski and Muffs. He was tired, but seeing Scully and Kayla made it all worth it.

Sighing, he pulled up a chair to sit next to Scully.

"How's she doing?" He inquired, pointing at Kayla. He noticed Scully looked exhausted too.

"The doctors tell me she's doing good. They think she'll wake up soon. They still can't explain what happened, Mulder." Scully replied in a tired voice. Mulder nodded.

"Well, maybe they don't know, but I do. Muffs and Skolski broke today. They told me everything, separately, and they're stories match up."

Scully turned and stared at Mulder incredulously. For two days, she had not thought about the story behind what had really happened, because her first concern was Kayla, but now that she knew Kayla was going to be alright, and the men had talked, she wanted to know everything.

"Bender was right, they are taking orders from someone. Skolski told me they received orders 16 years ago to inject Janette Reynolds with an experimental dose of YH493. That's what he called it, but anyway, it was only meant to be an experiment. When I asked Skolski who he got his orders from, he said they never saw them, most of their orders were by telephone but there was one time where they did have to meet them, to get the serum. I asked him to describe the man who dropped off the serum. Skolski said he was wearing sunglasses and gloves. But then, he say the guy's eyes. He said they were pitch black, no whites. Skolski claims they weren't human. Muffs agrees and Bender already confessed that. Scully, don't you see? I was right, there was extra-terrestrial involvement." Mulder explained. Scully pushed that thought aside. It wasn't all making sense quite yet.

"They were ordered by strangers to inject a random woman with some experimental lot?" Scully asked, pulling Mulder back to the point.

"Yeah, they were just ordered to inject her. Nothing else. So they broke into her home and injected her. Marzulli's was created by the same people who ordered these three guys around. They really were working for the lab, but it was all a fake. It was all for this experiment. But these guys said they had no choice. They were forced to inject this woman and that was it.

"Until a few days ago, when they were contacted by the same people. They were ordered to find the girl who Janette was pregnant with when she was injected and to take her. Whoever their boss was knew all about Kayla, and her powers."

"Powers?"

"The three guys knew about it. Her ability to see the future. Their boss, the people who ordered them to kidnap Kayla and inject her mother 16 years ago, wanted Kayla's power. That's why they had Skolski, Muffs and Bender kidnap her. Once their employer knew about Kayla's abilities, they knew their experimental drug had worked. Muffs said their boss never expected it to actually _work_, but once they knew it did, they wanted it."

"Mulder, do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?" Scully asked as she massaged her temples tiredly. Mulder shrugged.

"It gets better," he continued, "Skolski told me their boss had a machine all set up at the safe house. THey were left instructions on how to use it." Scully felt her heart fluttering, as she remembered Kayla as white as a sheet, hooked up to that machine while her whole body shook. Scully swallowed.

"What was the machine for?" She asked nervously.

"According to Skolski, it was designed to drain Kayla's psychic abilities. The big boss wanted Kayla's powers; the machine was meant to contain them in a test tube, so to speak. They didn't care that it would kill her." Mulder said witha sad look at Kayla. Scully's eyes widened.

"So they actually _meant_ to kill her?" She asked angrily. Mulder shook his head.

"Not directly. They didn't necessarily want her dead, they just wanted the abilities and Kayla wouldn't live through the extraction. When the machine said '95% Complete,' it meant they had successfully extracted 95% of Kayla's ability."

"It also meant another 5% and Kayla would have been dead."

"That's probably true, but thankfully, we got there in enough time. If what they're saying is true, Kayla's abilities are 95% gone. If my theory was correct, if the seizures are connected to her ability to see the future, then Kayla shouldn't have anymore episodes."

"Even if you are right, Mulder, how do you explain to a 16-year-old that her episodes were psychic, and that some extra-terrestrials created a machine to suck them out of her, and _that's_ why she doesn't have anymore seizures?" Scully was incredibly skeptical, but Mulder, always the believer, smirked.

"Come on, teenagers are incredibly open-minded. Besides, Kayla loves to read. She's probably got a wicked imagination."

Scully breathed out and looked at Kayla.

"I think we should wait to tell her anything until we're sure."

"If that's what you think. You're her aunt, after all. But how much more convincing do you need?"

"Unless I see the 'aliens' for myself, the supposed 'black eyes,' I don't buy it Mulder. It's too...out there."

"That's where the truth is, Scully. If you just opened your eyes."

Scully didn't have a chance to argue, because it was at that moment that Kayla's eyes began to flutter, returning slowly to consciousness.

Scully waited, while Mulder stood back to give her some space. Kayla looked tired, and squinted her face weakly as she struggled to open her eyes. Scully felt tears in her eyes, seeing Melissa in front of her, but also seeing her neice, separate from Melissa. She had been hurt, and inside, it made Scully seethe with rage, but all that mattered to her in that moment was Kayla. She was safe and she was going to be okay. That was enough. For now.

Kayla's eyes met Scully's, as confusion was spread across her face. Scully managed a small smile.

"Hey." She whispered. Kayla breathed out.

"Hi." She replied in a quiet voice. "Am...I in the hospital?"

"Yeah, you are." Scully confirmed.

"Why?" Kayla was genuinely confused. She didn't seem to remember anything.

Scully paused.

"Don't you remember Kayla?" She pressed. Kayla scrunched up her brow as she tried to think back.

"We were at the police station. You let me come. We were just talking and...and I don't remember anything after that." Kayla paused. "Did I, you know, have an episode?"

Scully realized what was going on. Kayla never remembered what happened when she was having an episode. The men must have taken her while she was still in that state. Kayla didn't even remember being taken.

"Yeah, you did, but you don't have to worry about those anymore." Scully looked over at Mulder, who looked at her, surprised. "We don't think you'll have anymore." Now Kayla really looked confused.

"What do you mean? How?" She asked, gripping the edge of the blanket.

"Mulder can try to explain it to you later." Scully exhaled. She still wondered how Kayla would ever believe it. "Good news too, Kayla. The police caught the people who were after you. We'll explain everything when you're feeling a bit better. But you're safe now."

To Scully's surprise, Kayla didn't look happy, but rather disappointed.

"Isn't that good news?" Scully asked. Kayla looked up and nodded.

"Oh, of course it is! I'm glad I'm safe." She paused. "I guess it means it's time to go back to the State Home. I...I was really starting to enjoy...the hotel." The truth was, Kayla had grown attached to Mulder and Scully, having spent a few days with them. It sucked to think about returning to the State Home after having such good company.

Scully picked up on this and stared at the girl who was Melissa's daughter, flesh and blood. A wave of emotions flooded over Scully as she imagined dropping Kayla back at that place, where all the girls hated her. Again, Scully thought of Melissa and what she would do in this situation. The answer couldn't be more clear. Before Scully could even think about it in detail, she did exactly what Melissa would do if she were alive.

"I had a thought. It's your decision, but if you're interested, you could come check out Washington for a while. I mean, my apartment's pretty small, I work a lot, but there's a library close by and a really good high school. It could be a fresh start for you." Scully explained, feeling Mulder staring at her incredulously. He hadn't expected this. To be honest, neither had Scully.

Or Kayla, for that matter. She stared at Scully unbelievably, shaking her head.

"What, like, come live with you in Washington?" Kayla asked, making sure she understood exactly what Scully was asking. Scully nodded with a smile. Kayla looked confused.

"Will they let you do that? The State Home, I mean. Isn't there paperwork? I mean, they don't just let kids go with strangers." She pointed out. Scully swallowed. This was it. The moment for the truth had come. She could no longer keep it from Kayla. It was the only way this would all make sense to her. It was time, and Scully felt she was ready to finally embrace the truth that had been so difficult to accept.

Scully took in a breath.

"Well Kayla, they let it happen if there's a relative involved. That's why it won't be a problem for me to take you to Washington. Kayla, I'm your aunt. That's why I was the one who was told you were in danger. Before you ask where I've been all these years, I only found out about this a few days ago. I was given DNA results and everything. I didn't believe it at first. My sister was never pregnant, but it's true. She donated her eggs and you were carried by a surrogate. Kayla I know this is a lot to take in, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I've been trying to come to terms with it too." Scully waited while Kayla took it in. She felt Kayla's confusion. It was the same shock Scully had experienced only days earlier when the mysterious envelope had shown up.

Kayla puckered her brow and cleared her throat.

"Your sister. You said she donated her eggs. Does that make her...my mother?" She asked. Scully smiled, imagining her sister as a mother.

"Yes. She would have been." She replied. Kayla seemed deep in thought.

"Does...does that mean...if I go with you to Washington, will...will I get to meet her?" She asked with the smallest hope. Scully felt herself deflating.

"Um, no, you won't be able to Kayla. My sister died...two years ago." She paused, as Kayla lowered her head. "I'm sorry." Kayla looked up and offered a small smile.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. She was your sister. I never even met her. I'm sorry, agent Scully." She replied. Scully smiled.

"Thank you Kayla. I'm sorry you'll never get to meet her. But I can tell you all about her." She fought back her tears. "Her name was Melissa, and you look _just_ like her."

And in a cramped hospital room, nearing the end of visiting hours, Scully shared every memory, every joy, every pain of Melissa's life with the girl who Melissa left behind. A legacy, a part of herself. Scully was glad to be sharing Melissa's life with her neice, who devoured it all happily, and in that hospital room, Melissa's memory lived on, both in word and in body.

The End!

A/N: So that's it for Kayla's story. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. If anybody is interested in a possible sequel, let me know and give me any ideas you might have. It would be down the road, as I will only allow myself to write 5 fan fics at a time (LOL), but yeah let me know. Blessings on you all, and thanks :)


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